Top NHS boss wants strict rules on junk food and social media before leaving post
NHS England chairman pushes for tough health-related laws before his early departure next spring. His proposals target sugar content‚ alcohol prices and social-media usage for younger people
Richard Meddings‚ NHS Englands outgoing chairman wants more state control over health-related issues. He plans to leave his post next spring (a year earlier than planned) and pushes for wide-ranging changes
The ex-banker suggests several hard-hitting measures to improve public health:
- Lower sugar and fat in foods
- Higher alcohol costs
- Social-media limits for young people
- Stricter food industry rules
“Society is becoming sicker and more demanding“ says Meddings‚ who thinks its time for what he calls nanny state approach. He points to places like Australia where they look at social-media rules for under-16s; while praising Scotlands minimum alcohol pricing system
The NHS faces big problems with resources – bed numbers dropped from 142k in early 2000s to about 97k today. This drop comes as population grew 15 percent making it harder to handle more sick patients (who need more complex care)
Health Secretary Wes Streeting started talks about NHS future but hasnt fully backed strict food industry rules yet. Meanwhile diagnostic equipment in UK hospitals stays at half the level of similar countries‚ making treatment delays worse
I would welcome – in a number of areas – the nanny state
The chairman points out that obesity causes at least 13 types of cancer plus other health issues. He thinks without these changes NHS wont manage growing demand from an increasingly un-healthy society
