Ministers Back Calls to Quiz Dental and Medical Patients about Lifestyle Choices
Ministers have backed proposals to quiz dental and medical patients about their lifestyle choices.
The NHS Future Forum released a report suggesting that dentists, nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers should take every opportunity to talk to patients about the choices they make and pay particular attention to four key areas, including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking.
Ministers, including Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, have welcomed the report. Mr Lansley said, “The NHS Future Forum has again provided invaluable feedback and advice on what the NHS needs to do to improve results and put the NHS truly on the side of patients.”
The report suggests that healthcare workers should use the time they have with patients to talk to them about the way they live their lives and encourage them to make changes that will improve their physical and mental health, as well as their social wellbeing.
According to the report, which was compiled by an independent panel of health experts, healthcare workers have amazing opportunities to make a real difference to standards of health by asking patients about their lifestyles and offering advice about living a healthy life and providing information about resources and services that can help people to change their habits, for example the stop smoking service.
The report has not been welcomed by everyone and GPs feel that quizzing patients may put some off going to see their doctor. Dr Clare Gerada, from the Royal College of GPs, said that raising the issue of lifestyle choices on a regular basis could be “counter-productive.”
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