Government urged to embed creative health in NHS plan

Creative health should be integral to the government’s plan for the NHS in England, the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) has said.

In a response to Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England, NCCH says creative health can help address some of the themes and issues raised in the report.

The centre says creative health can be used to address a rise in poor mental health, challenges in social care and relieve some of the pressures associated with ill health and long-term medical conditions.

It uses examples including singing programmes supporting people with COPD or long Covid, dance reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and music and movement being used in stroke rehabilitation.

With Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicating reforms to rebuild the NHS will include a move towards more care in communities rather than hospitals, NCCH’s response also reiterates the role of creative health in prevention, citing how playing a musical instrument reduces cognitive decline and dementia.

“We believe creative health is a vital part of this community-based multidisciplinary model. A skilled and passionate creative health workforce already operates largely in neighbourhoods and communities,” NCCH says. “People can access these services directly or through social prescribing, which has been shown to improve health outcomes and reduce demand on healthcare services.”

NCCH adds creative health can be used to also support NHS staff, improving wellbeing and reducing stress and anxiety, or supporting those experiencing burnout.

The centre’s closing message to the government says embedding creative health in systems will reduce pressure on the NHS in the short-term, by offering cost-effective non-clinical interventions that empower patients and reduce demand on services, while creating the conditions for people to live healthier lives in the long-term.