News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 12 September 2011
New Responsibility
Deal pledges on health at work and physical activity
Typhoo, McCain and Centrica – who between them employ more than
35,000 people - have today signed up to help their employees to
quit smoking by providing workplace stop smoking services or
encouraging them to go to appointments during working hours
without losing any pay.
In addition, the Co-operative has today unveiled a new individual
pledge to encourage more people to become more physically active.
The pledges are part of the Government’s Responsibility Deal,
which is working with business and charities to make changes to
help make the population healthier. So far, 285 organisations have
signed up to be part of the deal.
Companies are being encouraged to get their staff to use online
tools such as NHS Lifecheck to help improve their health and well
being. They will also be encouraging their employees to take part
in more formal screening programmes.
The new pledges were launched at seminars where organisations
involved in the Health at Work and Physical Activity networks of
the Responsibility Deal got together with Health Ministers Lord
Howe and Simon Burns to talk about their progress so far. More
companies are expected to sign up to the pledges over the coming weeks.
Lord Howe said:
“It’s really hard to stop smoking – people who want to quit need
all the support they can get.
“Around 21 per cent of adults smoke – so an estimated 7,000
smokers work for Centrica, McCain and Typhoo. I’m really pleased
these companies are going to help their employees quit and I hope
that more will sign up to the pledge.
“We spend a big chunk of our lives at work so it makes sense that
employers look after us as best they can. And it’s good business
for them to have a healthy and happy workforce.”
Dame Carol Black, Chair of the Health at Work
group said:
“Each and every organisation on the Health at Work group has
worked hard to bring the Responsibility Deal to life. I’m
delighted we’re able to launch two new pledges today which will go
even further to improving the health of employees.”
The Co-operative, which is already committed to inspiring young
people to lead an active lifestyle, also launched a pledge with
its partner Activate Sport – the UK’s leading sports and activity
camps provider for children – committing, by 2012, to:
reach 20,000 young people through sports camps; and
double the number of camps to 500 across the UK.
Simon Burns, Minister of State for Health and Co-Chair of the
Responsibility Deal Physical Activity Network, welcomed the new
individual pledge from The Co-operative and Activate Sport. He
said:
“This pledge on behalf of The Co-operative and Activate Sport is
a great example of a major retailer working in partnership to
promote a range of sport and physical activity opportunities for
children and young people.
“This is particularly important for those children and young
people from disadvantaged backgrounds who often face a range of
barriers to participate regularly in sport and physical activity.”
Fred Turok, Co-Chair of the Responsibility Deal,
Physical Activity Network, said:
“I am delighted that The Co-operative has moved so quickly in
setting the standard for business by making a core commitment to
the health of the nation, giving opportunities to young people to
increase their physical activity levels through their partnership
with Activate Sport.
“It is crucial that we improve the nation’s health through
physical activity and embed exercise into the DNA of business and
the community. I urge other businesses to follow this example and
begin to think about their own commitments and role in improving
the health of the nation.”
Earlier this summer, guides were also published to help employers
and managers help people with long term conditions. These can be
found at:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Documents/ChronicConds_Employees_Factsheet_A4.pdf
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Documents/ChronicConds_LineManagers_Factsheet_A4.pdf
Notes to editors
1. Launched on 15 March, the Public Health Responsibility Deal
has been established to tap into the potential for businesses and
other organisations to improve public health and tackle health
inequalities through their influence over food, alcohol, physical
activity and health in the workplace. For more information on the
Responsibility Deal go to http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Publichealthresponsibilitydeal/index.htm
2. Partners signing up to the Responsibility Deal have committed
to take action to improve public health. This action is expressed
as a series of pledges covering food, alcohol, physical activity
and health at work. These pledges are not intended to replace
Government action. The Government will continue to develop
national policy, define priorities and communicate public health messages.
3. The Department of Health has signed up to all the health at
work pledges and the relevant physical activity pledges.
4. NHS LifeCheck is a simple, confidential and easy-to-use online
tool that will aim to get people thinking and finding out about
their health or the health of their children. For more information
go to www.nhs.uk/lifecheck
5. Businesses at the Health at Work seminar include American
Express, Coca-Cola, Centrica, EON, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Philips,
Pru-Health as well as a number of smaller organisations including
charities. Some of these organisations also attended the Physical
Activity Seminar, which included representatives of American
Express, Danone, Slimming World and Sodexo.
6. The most effective method of stopping smoking is through Local
NHS Stop Smoking Services, where a successful quit attempt is up
to four times more likely than unassisted ('cold
turkey') quitting and twice as effective as medication
alone. More information is available at www.smokefree.nhs.uk or by
calling the Smoking Helpline on 0800 022 4332. Healthy Lives,
Healthy People: A tobacco control plan for England was published
on 9 March 2011: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_124917
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk