Health Promotion and Ill-health prevention: the role of General Practice

Background This paper reports on research

undertaken for the King’s Fund inquiry into quality

in general practice and examines the health promotion

role of the general practitioner.

Methods Literature review of health promotion

in general practice focusing on smoking cessation,

childhood immunisation, coronary heart disease

(CHD) and obesity. In addition the paper draws

on interviews with practice and public health staff.

Results General practitioners (GPs) and their practice

teams have a crucial role in promoting health

and preventing disease. Consultations provide an

ideal opportunity for preventing illness and disease

but general practice focuses primarily on secondary

prevention. Many GPs state they lack the skills

needed to deliver effective health promotion.

Conclusions Issues, such as GP commissioning,

provide a new set of challenges for public health and

ill-health prevention. The evidence base is growing

but general practice, public health and academics

need to work together to improve this.