Dr Charlesworth and Dr Marshall of The Health Foundation will be delivering a joint session. Potentially preventable conditions – including some cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, cancers, and mental ill health – are the leading causes of ill health and death in the UK. It is estimated that 40% of the burden on health services in England may be preventable through action on the determinants of such conditions, but only around 4% of the health budget is spent on prevention.

The total costs of preventable ill health fall far wider than health and care services though, when considering the cost to the economy of the reduced ability to work, the lost years of working life, and the high physical and emotional impact on people’s lives. The session will address the challenges around adopting a more comprehensive strategy around preventing ill health, the cost effectiveness of interventions and the need for a broader long term perspective for clinicians, managers and policy makers.