NICE Publish New Physical Activity Quality Standard
NICE has published the quality standard Physical Activity: encouraging physical activity in people of all ages who are in contact with the NHS, including staff, patients and carers.
Physical inactivity costs the NHS alone an estimated £0.9 billion per year based on national cases of ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and diabetes (conditions that are potentially preventable or manageable through physical activity).
According to the Network of Public Health Observatories Health Impact of Physical Inactivity, it has been estimated that physical inactivity leads to around 37,000 premature deaths a year in England alone. Despite the multiple health gains associated with a physically active lifestyle, there are high levels of inactivity in England.
The quality standard does not cover encouraging physical activity for particular conditions; this is included in condition‑specific quality standards where appropriate.
