Simon Stevens, NHS England CEO, recently challenged the fitness industry to get involved in the prevention of lifestyle diseases. ukactive’s Steven Ward reports
Simon Stevens addresses the activity sector at the recent ukactive Summit / Photograph: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Late last year, at the ukactive National Summit in London, Simon Stevens – chief executive of NHS England – stood before leaders of the physical activity sector and began shaking a bottle of pills at them.
This unexpected gesture marked a seminal moment for the physical activity sector. The man responsible for a yearly budget of £120bn was throwing down the gauntlet to our sector.
He noted that the pharmaceutical industry dreams of discovering “a treatment that could cut 3 per cent of strokes, prevent 30 per cent of dementia, 30 per cent of osteoporosis, radically reduce breast cancer and bowel cancer, not to mention prevent depression, reduce stress, eliminate type 2 diabetes and cut the falls that our parents’ generation experience each year.”
He continued: “If you could pack all of that into a magic pill, it would be a worldwide pharmaceutical blockbuster. But the label on the side of this treatment says ‘activity and exercise’.”
The message was clear: the NHS knows the power of your product – now show us how we can use it to its greatest effect.
Stevens’ message – that physical activity is a miracle cure which represents the best chance of saving the NHS from bankruptcy – was nothing new to any of us in the room. What was significant was that he and the rest of the health service are now prepared to listen.
Best practice Two weeks after this speech, ukactive teamed up with the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) and Public Health England (PHE) to launch Promising Practice 2. This project aims to significantly improve the standard of physical activity programmes in this country. It will identify the most successful schemes so they can be scaled up to have national impact and lighten the load on the NHS. It will also determine best practice.
We know from the inaugural Promising Practice research in 2014, which looked at 952 activity programmes, that there are gaps in routine data collection, evaluation and research around such schemes. Through the Promising Practice 2 report – due in February – we can raise standards and build on the growing case for the wider commissioning of activity programmes.
The report will offer practical guidance on how this sector can consolidate good practice and build an evidence base. It’s essential that we’re able to demonstrate our impact and the return on investment of our services in the same way that other public health services can.
By highlighting effective physical activity initiatives that, if scaled up, could contribute to making ‘everyone active every day’ – PHE’s mission, as well as our own – we can uncover exercise solutions that deliver the associated health, economic and social improvements for communities.
Challenge accepted Concluding his speech, Stevens reiterated his challenge to our sector. “Experts at the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges estimated that more than £18bn of headroom in the NHS national budget could be created if we actually made serious improvements in physical activity across this country,” he said.
“My plea to those of you working in the leisure sector, in gyms or local councils, is to proactively seek out your local hospital, community trust or ambulance service and begin this dialogue with them about how you can help advance this agenda.”
The opportunity is there. Now the onus is on our sector to seize it.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
Simon Stevens, NHS England CEO, recently challenged the fitness industry to get involved in the prevention of lifestyle diseases. ukactive’s Steven Ward reports
Simon Stevens addresses the activity sector at the recent ukactive Summit / Photograph: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Late last year, at the ukactive National Summit in London, Simon Stevens – chief executive of NHS England – stood before leaders of the physical activity sector and began shaking a bottle of pills at them.
This unexpected gesture marked a seminal moment for the physical activity sector. The man responsible for a yearly budget of £120bn was throwing down the gauntlet to our sector.
He noted that the pharmaceutical industry dreams of discovering “a treatment that could cut 3 per cent of strokes, prevent 30 per cent of dementia, 30 per cent of osteoporosis, radically reduce breast cancer and bowel cancer, not to mention prevent depression, reduce stress, eliminate type 2 diabetes and cut the falls that our parents’ generation experience each year.”
He continued: “If you could pack all of that into a magic pill, it would be a worldwide pharmaceutical blockbuster. But the label on the side of this treatment says ‘activity and exercise’.”
The message was clear: the NHS knows the power of your product – now show us how we can use it to its greatest effect.
Stevens’ message – that physical activity is a miracle cure which represents the best chance of saving the NHS from bankruptcy – was nothing new to any of us in the room. What was significant was that he and the rest of the health service are now prepared to listen.
Best practice Two weeks after this speech, ukactive teamed up with the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) and Public Health England (PHE) to launch Promising Practice 2. This project aims to significantly improve the standard of physical activity programmes in this country. It will identify the most successful schemes so they can be scaled up to have national impact and lighten the load on the NHS. It will also determine best practice.
We know from the inaugural Promising Practice research in 2014, which looked at 952 activity programmes, that there are gaps in routine data collection, evaluation and research around such schemes. Through the Promising Practice 2 report – due in February – we can raise standards and build on the growing case for the wider commissioning of activity programmes.
The report will offer practical guidance on how this sector can consolidate good practice and build an evidence base. It’s essential that we’re able to demonstrate our impact and the return on investment of our services in the same way that other public health services can.
By highlighting effective physical activity initiatives that, if scaled up, could contribute to making ‘everyone active every day’ – PHE’s mission, as well as our own – we can uncover exercise solutions that deliver the associated health, economic and social improvements for communities.
Challenge accepted Concluding his speech, Stevens reiterated his challenge to our sector. “Experts at the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges estimated that more than £18bn of headroom in the NHS national budget could be created if we actually made serious improvements in physical activity across this country,” he said.
“My plea to those of you working in the leisure sector, in gyms or local councils, is to proactively seek out your local hospital, community trust or ambulance service and begin this dialogue with them about how you can help advance this agenda.”
The opportunity is there. Now the onus is on our sector to seize it.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
