The health, and the wealth, of our nation is dependent on our taking radical steps to reimagine how people access and interact with healthcare provision to tackle the disastrous epidemic of chronic disease that’s now impacting our ‘healthspan’ (the number of years we live in “full health”).  The stats make for grim reading:

World health Organisation Stats [Link]

(You can chose any country to see its specific stats.  Select the “Healthy life expectancy” button in the “Life expectancy” section to reveal the ‘heathspan’ stats)

At the core of the required reforms there’ll be a more preventative approach to health and wellbeing.  Organisations like the UKIHCA are spearheading the new push with the government reforms to give us all access to health coaches who can support us in taking more responsibility for our own health and wellbeing in a way that fits our specific lifestyle and need.

It will be vital that the new focus on prevention is included all areas of society, including the education and employment sectors, as well as healthcare.

Employers will play a big part in this, and, encouragingly, some are already expanding the portfolio of health related benefits offered to employees, both to quash the trend in sickness related costs adversely affecting productivity, and to offer a key differentiator in the range of benefits they are offering employees compared to the competition.

Health coaches will play a key part in the preventative approach.  As well as providing health education and support to the employers, they can also offer a service to individuals that includes a consultation up-front to consider that person’s whole health and unique lifestyle.  This allows them to develop a personalised plan that is realistic for the individual’s lifestyle and schedule.  Regular check-ins provide support and nurture accountability for positive changes to health and wellbeing.

Aspects such as health history, health status, diet, exercise, sleep, stress and mental health all interact, so it’s always essential to consider them all when working with an individual to plan their unique health and wellbeing objectives for change.

Health Coaches offer the best preventative approach today, especially as primary care in our current health service isn’t funded in a way that allows our amazing GPs to invest the time they’d like to.

We health coaches need your help in spreading the word.  Have a think if anyone in your world could benefit from working with a health coach, or if your company wants to join a growing number of organisations investing in the health of their workforce to buck the negative health trends affecting productivity and profitability.

More information about this growing area of healthcare is available here: https://www.ukihca.com/