We Need a Cultural Shift in Attitudes Towards Health says Future Generations Commissioner
Wales needs a cultural shift in attitudes towards health, says the Future Generations Commissioner.
The calls come in The Future Generations Wales Podcast, hosted by Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, which continues its exploration into how the Well-being of Future Generations Act is shaping a better future.
Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act, and the commissioner's role is to challenge public bodies to take action today that protects people tomorrow.
In this episode, A Healthier Wales, Derek is joined by Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson, one of the most accomplished Paralympians in history and a passionate advocate for health, well-being and inclusivity.
A multi-Paralympic medallist, Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson secured 11 gold medals while competing as a wheelchair athlete in five Paralympic Games from 1988 to 2004. Her dominance extended beyond the track, winning the London Wheelchair Marathon six times and setting more than 30 world records.
Beyond sport, she has served as an independent cross-bench member of the House of Lords since 2010 and with a lifetime dedicated to advocacy, is a powerful voice in the discussion on long-term health strategies. As chair of Sport Wales, she is accountable to the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport for Sport Wales' performance and for the delivery of strategic priorities.
At the heart of their conversation is the principle of prevention, a cornerstone of the Future Generations Act. Tanni and Derek discuss the necessity of embedding long-term health strategies rather than relying on short-term fixes. They use the metaphor of a fence at the top of a cliff rather than an ambulance at the bottom to emphasise the importance of proactive well-being measures.
By 2025, we can expect to spend, on average, the last 20 years of our lives in ill-health, according to the Well-being of Wales report, 2024.
Tanni advocates for a cultural shift in attitudes towards health, with a greater focus on collaboration between sectors to foster lifelong habits that support physical and mental well-being.
The Economic Value of Sport report found sport in Wales is helping to directly deliver £1.9 billion in GVA for the Welsh economy, securing 38,345 full time equivalent jobs.
As a fierce advocate for accessibility and inclusion, Tanni also highlights the need for physical literacy from an early age. She stresses that sports and physical activity should be available to all, regardless of socioeconomic status or disability. Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to engage in sports, she argues, is essential for building confidence, resilience, and lifelong healthy habits.
Despite the well-documented benefits of physical activity, barriers to participation persist. Tanni shares her personal experiences as a wheelchair user navigating an often inaccessible world, shedding light on the daily challenges faced by disabled individuals. She also discusses the additional difficulties women and children encounter in accessing sports and exercise opportunities. These issues, she argues, must be addressed through targeted policies, investment, and a commitment to inclusive programme design.
Derek highlights the Future Generations Report, which assesses public bodies' progress and offer recommendations for the next decade.
The report, published at the end of April 2025 to mark 10 years of the legislation, serves as a roadmap for embedding well-being into policy, ensuring future generations benefit from healthier, more inclusive communities.
In it, the commissioner makes several challenges around health, including calling for annual ringfenced prevention budgets and a move towards long-term funding arrangements to safeguard people's long-term needs.
It was launched with a Future Generations Action Summit at National Museum Cardiff, where public bodies made commitments to key recommendations in the report.
Since Wales committed to future generations thinking, we have seen a progressive school curriculum, a move to greener transport and a new way to define prosperity away from GDP. When Derek took on the role as commissioner in 2023, he said the law needed to work harder and faster so that people in Wales felt the everyday benefits.
Both Derek and Tanni stress in the podcast the importance of maintaining momentum in the face of short-term funding pressures, advocating for sustained investment in long-term health initiatives.
The full episode is available now as part of the Future Generations Wales Podcast series produced by Business News Wales.
For more information and to read the Future Generations Report 2025, see https://futuregenerations.wales/discover/about-future-generations-commissioner/future-generations-report-2025/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Brits more likely to develop cancer but less likely to die: report
Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by 22 per cent since the early 1970s, but cancer diagnoses have increased by 47 per cent in Great Britain during the same period, according to Cancer Research UK. The decline in cancer deaths is attributed to advancements in diagnosis and treatment, as well as initiatives to reduce smoking. Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK 's chief executive, described the findings as a time of 'optimism and realism,' highlighting that it is also 'a golden age for cancer research'. Smoking is identified as the leading preventable cause of cancer, with obesity linked to 13 different types of the disease. MPs and members of the House of Lords are urging the Government to prioritise faster diagnosis of less survivable cancers, which account for approximately 42 per cent of cancer deaths.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- BBC News
MSPs back tobacco ban plan for 'smoke free generation'
MSPs have given their consent to UK legislation which aims to create a "smoke-free generation".The Scottish Parliament passed a legislative consent motion, which means MSPs agree to Westminster passing a law which affects a devolved Tobacco and Vapes Bill is UK-wide legislation that would ban tobacco products for anyone born after January 1, would also bring in restrictions on the advertising and sale of vapes, as well as reviewing the packaging of e-cigarettes. Public health minister Jenni Minto welcomed the "landmark legislation", with MSPs approving her motion said: "We have worked closely across the four nations to ensure a consistent approach and I am determined to ensure a tobacco-free Scotland, where people live longer and healthier lives, by 2034."The Bill, once passed, will also ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, stopping the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine." The legislation has passed votes in the House of Commons and is currently going through the House of includes a ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as powers to restrict the flavours and packaging of vapes in an attempt to reduce their appeal to is part of a series of measures aimed at tackling the health effects of smoking, one of the UK's leading causes of preventable death, disability and ill rates have fallen in recent years but vaping rates have risen sharply, especially among under-35s and those who have never used cigarettes.
Business News Wales
22-05-2025
- Business News Wales
Research Uncovers Key Challenges in Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund
Research led by the University of South Wales (USW) has identified issues at the heart of the Welsh Government's £146 million Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund (RIF). RIF is a five-year funding programme with the aim to establish and mainstream six new national models of integrated care to achieve the vision of 'A Healthier Wales: the Welsh Government's long-term plan for Health and Social Care'. Delivering integrated care, where organisations and care professionals are aligned, is essential to improving outcomes for people who use health and social care services. The RIF is a key lever for change and transformation across the health and social care. Its priority population groups include older people (including people with dementia), children and young people with complex needs, people with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions, unpaid carers, and people with emotional and mental health wellbeing needs. The Welsh Institute of Health and Social Care (WIHSC), based at USW, was awarded a contract of more than £1 million to lead an evaluation of the RIF. The three-year programme of work is a collaboration between USW, Brunel University London, OB3 Research, Swansea University, and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. Published by Welsh Government, the first report of the study (From theory to practice) highlights six key issues that it says need to be addressed and brought into balance if RIF is to achieve its aims: Alignment and Aspiration: The RIF is designed to meet specific policy goals, but it also aims to achieve broader, more ambitious changes in creating seamless services. The RIF is designed to meet specific policy goals, but it also aims to achieve broader, more ambitious changes in creating seamless services. Control and Collaboration: The balance between central control and the need for teamwork and shared decision-making can shift over time, creating power dynamics that need to be managed. The balance between central control and the need for teamwork and shared decision-making can shift over time, creating power dynamics that need to be managed. Fidelity and Flexibility: There's tension between sticking to the RIF's guidelines and giving local teams the flexibility they need to adapt to real-world challenges. There's tension between sticking to the RIF's guidelines and giving local teams the flexibility they need to adapt to real-world challenges. Accountability and Autonomy: While there's a need for clear accountability and spending of public money, there's also a desire for more independence in how decisions are made, and actions are taken. While there's a need for clear accountability and spending of public money, there's also a desire for more independence in how decisions are made, and actions are taken. Ownership and Partnership: It's not always clear who is ultimately responsible for the Fund's work, and questions remain about how much true partnership is involved in delivering its goals. It's not always clear who is ultimately responsible for the Fund's work, and questions remain about how much true partnership is involved in delivering its goals. Structure and Agency: The RIF aims to transform existing systems, but it operates within current organizational structures, which can make achieving meaningful change more complicated. Professor Mark Llewellyn, Director of WIHSC, said: 'In addition to the points above, we have also put forward 11 'areas for further consideration', which are questions around working together, data collection, reporting and resourcing, and the development of new models of care. 'The health and care systems in Wales, as is the case across the UK, are facing acute resource pressures. The RIF is trying to change a system in real time, a system under significant strain and stress. Project development across the regions is seeing innovative approaches to deliver care and support services during the transitional year from the Integrated Care Fund and Transformation Fund to the RIF. 'However, this presents a unique opportunity to rethink how health and social care can work together more effectively. By addressing these tensions and fostering true collaboration, we have the potential to create a more integrated system that delivers better outcomes for the people who need it most through the development of integrated models of care.'
