ukactive has published a new blueprint for integrating the physical activity sector with health services with support from Lincolnshire ICB and Active Lincolnshire. This new publication was launched by ukactive’s Chair, Mike Farrar, who is the former CEO of the NHS Confederation, at the organisation’s Active Uprising event in Westminster this month.

The blueprint, which has been shaped in collaboration with five Active Partnerships, Local ICBs, NHS England, Government officials, Sport England, NHS Horizons and ukactive members aims to provide the optimal framework to enable the NHS to work with the physical activity sector to build a healthier nation.

The new blueprint builds on the Government’s own ambition to shift support from treatment to prevention and hospital to community. It is the first framework designed collectively by the health sector in coalition with the physical activity sector.

The blueprint outlines principles and actions that will support the NHS and its partners to achieve the 10-year vision for health and care.

Speaking at Active Uprising, Mike Farrar said: “Social prescribing and building physical activity into care pathways now provide the opportunity for the NHS to address the needs of tens of thousands of people suffering from chronic conditions and to help them avoid costly hospital admissions and loss of independent living.

“This is where the forthcoming 10-year vision for health can really signal a shift in priorities and resources by establishing a new relationship between the NHS and the physical activity sector.

If we do not address our population’s worsening health with true preventative measures, our economy will struggle immensely to be supercharged, the way we all hope.”

The blueprint features eight key components to help ensure the right governance, partnerships, pathways and messaging are being delivered to drive the uptake of physical activity provisions and support the health of local communities.

In the long term, one ambition is for the delivery of the components within the blueprint to put an end to the current ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to physical activity and health interventions, by enabling the delivery of industry-led physical activity programmes and initiatives to be integrated fully into the health and care system.

John Turner, CEO of NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board which has supported the development of the blueprint, said:

"In Lincolnshire we are committed to ensuring that physical activity is a key component of supporting improvements in the health and wellbeing of people of Lincolnshire. From early preventative measures, through to aiding recovery in the long term, the more active our communities are, the better for us all. We in the local NHS continue to recognise the role we can play in encouraging this, and the importance of strengthening our partnership with others in the county to develop this blueprint."

Emma Tatlow, CEO for Active Lincolnshire, which has also supported the development of the blueprint, said:

“By working together on the development and implementation of this blueprint, we can truly demonstrate the power of partnership working.

We have a strong history of working together in Lincolnshire, to address the unique set of conditions that impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities. This framework can now be adapted and utilised in other areas across the country.

The national Active Partnership network’s involvement in this work clearly aligns with our ongoing mission to integrate physical activity into the health and care sectors.”

The blueprint’s publication comes at a pivotal time as the Government develops its 10-year health plan that will be published in Spring 2025. Physical activity helps prevent 20 chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, many types of cancer, MSK conditions, depression and anxiety, and dementia – generating over £4.1bn in healthcare savings every year.

If you're interested in finding out more about our collaboration and what the ukactive blueprint means for Lincolnshire, get in touch with Emma Tatlow.