New iniative to fund physical activity pilot for healthcare professionals

• Posted on Oct 12, 2016

Sport England and Public Health England (PHE) have partnered up to fund a new pilot aimed at upskilling healthcare professionals to embed physical activity in clinical care.

The Education Cascade Model has been developed to help physiotherapists, midwives and mental health nurses to encourage their patients use activity as a preventative measure and treatment.

Nicola Blackwood, a minister at the Department of Health (DoH), made the announcement during a session in Westminster this morning (11 October).

The Sport England and PHE partnership began last month and will continue until February 2017. According to a PHE spokeswoman the pair are ‘working together to develop a wider programme’.

She also revealed that the government would be launching a pilot for “21 clinical nurse champions projects” which emphasise the importance of physical activity for practicing nurses. The pilot will be delivered alongside the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

However, Blackwood stressed the initiatives would not be compulsory, and it was “up to local areas to make sure they make the most of the programmes”.

The move reinforces the notion of several government departments working together to stress the benefits of physical activity during a time of increased childhood obesity and pressure on the NHS.

Indeed, PHE was referenced several times within the government’s Sporting Future strategy, which was published last year. The body will work alongside Sport England and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Since October 2015, PHE has been offering training sessions on promoting the importance of physical activity to health professionals as part of the Physical Activity Clinical Champion Programme.

Source: Sports Management