Health Promotion in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the development and current status of health promotion in the United Kingdom (UK). Since the inception of the National Health Service (NHS), resources in the UK have been directed towards the treatment of disease and the consequences of disease. Health promotion has not been viewed as a primary concern of the NHS. This situation is changing as successive governments have introduced new policies with the aim of improving the nation’s health. Most occupational therapists in the UK work within health and social services and have not traditionally engaged with health promotion, particularly primary health promotion. In recent years, an increasing number has become involved in health promotion projects, some of which are described here. The paper concludes that health promotion is likely to become a much more central role for occupational therapists in the near future.