The industry has been moving towards integration with the medical sector since the 1970s. Now we’re within reach of making this outcome a reality it’s time to step up a gear

W e’re on a long road towards realising our destiny as a sector – to be at the heart of both prevention and cure and on the inside of the allopathic medical community.

Some may say this goal is too lofty, but we’ve seen the power of exercise to save and change lives and witnessed how the sector is transforming itself into a partner worthy of respect by the health service.

Pioneers in the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties set us on this path, with each generation passing the baton to the next as progress continues towards this ultimate goal.

The latest to take up the challenge is the new chair of UK Active, Mike Farrar, who we interview on page 42.

With his background in senior management in the NHS, Farrar sees exciting opportunities for the organisation to collaborate with the physical activity sector and he’s opening up his contact book to forge the links needed to move us from having one foot in the door to being on the inside.

He’s laid out a vision for the sector with an immediate to do list which includes supporting NHS staff to reduce absenteeism that costs the UK £4bn a year in locum fees; engaging teens struggling with their mental health; and becoming an NHS partner of choice for exercise referral in the delivery of rehab, prehab and cancer interventions.

“We absolutely need to be ambitious,” says Farrar. “It’s no good saying we want to be just a little bit better.

“I’d also like to see government joining up more,” he continues. “The challenge for us is that we get channelled through DCMS, but we also want to speak directly to the health department, the Treasury, local government, business and education. This means we need them to speak to each other, otherwise we come in as a smaller voice than the hospitals and the schools, when really these are all part of our story.

“My message to government is, ‘We’re already having joined-up conversations at an operational level. Could you please try and do the same?’”, he tells HCM.

Farrar calls on the sector to ‘invest and evolve’, supporting its workforce with the introduction of a skills escalator, sharing best practice, delivering effective programmes and measuring outcomes to continue to build the evidence base we need to prove efficacy.

On page 72 we highlight one of many pilots currently being undertaken to deliver health outcomes through exercise – the Prevention and Enablement Model. Outcomes are being measured by Wellby, a social value indicator linked to the NHS QALY standard and endorsed by HM Treasury.

This is the kind of work and evidence base that will see the sector moving from being on the outside to being a trusted and valued NHS partner.