Latest news with #ChrisWhitty
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Most important threat to health' will kill 30,000 people this year
Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, has issued a warning Air pollution wreaks havoc on nearly every organ in the body, and it's expected to be linked to a staggering 30,000 deaths in the UK come 2025, a chilling report by leading medics warns. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has sounded the alarm that "no safe level" of air pollutants exists, highlighting the grim reality that roughly 99% of Brits are inhaling "toxic air". The startling insight reveals that exposure to this invisible killer could take off an average of 1.8 years from a person's life. Throwing fresh light on a decade's worth of evidence, the experts say that even seemingly benign low levels of pollution can adversely affect unborn babies and contribute to diseases ranging from cancer to mental health conditions and dementia. And there's more than just years lost. The toxic toll comes at a crippling economic cost too. Healthcare expenses and lost productivity due to foul air hit the exchequer for £27 billion each year, a number that could rocket to £50 billion if dementia and other broader effects are taken into account. Taking a stand, the College is pressing the Government for bold measures to clear the air, urging officials to put air pollution squarely on the radar as a critical health crisis. Lending his weight to the dire findings, England's Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty said in the report's foreword: "Air pollution remains the most important environmental threat to health, with impacts throughout the life course. 'It is an area of health where the UK has made substantial progress in the last three decades with concentrations of many of the main pollutants falling rapidly, but it remains a major cause of chronic ill health as well as premature mortality. Further progress in outdoor air pollution will occur if we decide to make it, but will not happen without practical and achievable changes to heating, transport and industry in particular. 'Air pollution affects everybody, and is everybody's business.' Dr Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: 'Air pollution can no longer be seen as just an environmental issue – it's a public health crisis. 'We are losing tens of thousands of lives every year to something that is mostly preventable and the financial cost is a price we simply cannot afford to keep paying. 'We wouldn't accept 30,000 preventable deaths from any other cause. We need to treat clean air with the same seriousness we treat clean water or safe food. It is a basic human right – and a vital investment in our economic future.' It comes as Asthma and Lung UK called for tougher clean air laws. Air pollution has triggered potentially life-threatening asthma attacks and severe flare-ups of illness one in five people with lung conditions, according to a new poll by the charity. More than half of 8,000 UK patients with lung conditions said air pollution had left them feeling breathless, according to the survey. Charity chief executive Sarah Sleet has branded air pollution a "public health emergency". She added: "It is the biggest environmental threat to human health. For the millions living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), air pollution can be deadly, yet many people are unaware of the toll it has on the nation's health. 'Toxic air is a major driver of respiratory conditions and can cause lung cancer and trigger asthma attacks, as well as flare ups of lung conditions such as COPD, exacerbating symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing and coughing. 'Despite the huge personal and financial costs of air pollution, the government has not yet shown the political will to tackle this crisis.' On Thursday over 100 doctors, nurses, patients and activists will meet at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London and walk to Downing Street to deliver a letter calling for Government to commit to 'ambitious' air quality targets. And one expert from Southampton warned that the nation could be walking into a 'microplastics-style crisis'. Dr Thom Daniels expressed his concerns, as he said: "While outdoor air pollution is widely recognised and understood, the dangers of indoor air pollution remain largely overlooked – and I worry we're sleepwalking into another microplastics-style crisis if we don't act now." Next month a cross-party group of MPs said they will reintroduce a bill, named after nine-year-old schoolgirl who died from an asthma attack linked to air pollution, which aims to make clean air a human right under UK law. Dubbed 'Ella's Law', the proposed legislation is named after Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived 82ft from the busy South Circular Road in Lewisham and suffered the fatal asthma attack in February 2013. She became the first person to have air pollution listed as a cause of death following a landmark inquest in 2020. A Government spokesperson said: 'Air pollution is a public health issue, and we are committed to tackling this issue across the country. 'We have already provided £575 million to support local authorities to improve air quality and are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone's exposure to air pollution is reduced.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight-loss jabs could soon be among most commonly used NHS drugs, top doctor says
Weight-loss jabs could soon become among the most commonly used drugs, the NHS's top doctor has said. Professor Sir Stephen Powis said cheaper versions of the jabs, such as Mounjaro, could lead to widespread use and be as transformative as statins - one of the most highly prescribed drugs taken by around 7 million people in the UK. His comments come as the NHS prepares to roll out access to Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, in GP practices. Prof Powis told the NHS ConfedExpo conference the NHS needs to go 'further and faster' to 'turn the tide' on rising levels of obesity and said the drugs could one day be accessed in pharmacies. The outgoing medical director of NHS England told reporters the weight-loss jabs could also be targeted at patients waiting for operations who cannot have them due to their weight. But the government's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned the jabs would not be a 'get out of jail card' for public and social health measures. He told the conference: 'They're not a get out of jail card, which means we don't have to do other social things. It is unacceptable, for example, to be advertising obviously obesogenic foods to young children, on the basis of subsequently they might be able to have jabs to undo the damage which will otherwise be lifelong.' An estimated 1.5 million are taking weight loss jabs in the UK. The Independent recently reported on a case of a woman who was refused a hip operation due to her weight, who had been forced to pay privately for the jabs as she struggled to access them through the NHS. Later this month, GPs in England will be allowed to prescribe Mounjaro for the first time. Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight loss service. Prof Powis hailed the rollout in GP surgeries as an 'exciting milestone' and said NHS officials are also examining ways to 'broaden access to the drugs', such as through pharmacies and digital services. Around 29 per cent of adults in the UK are obese. Prof Powis said: 'Right now, obesity is estimated to cost the NHS approximately £11.4 billion every year – this financial burden is unsustainable for the NHS and wider economy. 'We have to turn the tide. We have to and will go further, and faster. 'In just a few years from now, some of today's weight loss drugs will be available at much lower cost. This could completely transform access to these innovative treatments. He said eventually there would be more drugs coming onto the market, which means prices would likely fall. He said: 'We have been through this with statins, and the use of statins is now very different from when they first came out, and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs.' 'So I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread, the evidence base will increase, we will learn better how to deploy them, we'll learn how long people need to be on them, and in terms of weight reduction, how much weight reduction is maintained once people come off – that's a big unknown,' he said. But he said he was not 'starry-eyed' about weight loss drugs, adding they are 'no silver bullet'. He told reporters: 'These medicines can be harmful if they are prescribed without the right checks and wraparound care – they can have side effects, including nausea, dehydration and inflammation of the pancreas, and a worrying number of people are continuing to access them without appropriate checks via the internet. Around 220,000 people are expected to benefit from the rollout of jabs at GP services over the next three years.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Top doctor says weight loss jabs could become as common as statins
Professor Sir Stephen Powis suggests weight-loss jabs like Mounjaro could become as common as statins, potentially available in pharmacies, to combat rising obesity rates. The NHS is preparing to roll out Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in GP practices, with plans to broaden access through pharmacies and digital services. Professor Chris Whitty warns that weight-loss jabs are not a 'get out of jail card' and shouldn't replace public health measures or justify advertising unhealthy foods to children. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are currently taking weight loss jabs, with around 220,000 expected to benefit from the NHS rollout over the next three years. Professor Powis acknowledges potential side effects and the need for proper checks when prescribing these drugs, while also noting that obesity costs the NHS approximately £11.4 billion annually.
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Ozempic-like weight loss jabs could one day be dished out like statins, says top NHS doctor
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WEIGHT loss jabs could one day be dished out like statins, England's top doctor says. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said in years to come they will get cheaper and may be used to prevent a range of illnesses. 1 NHS' top doctor says weight loss jabs like Mounjaro "will become more widespread" Credit: Alamy But chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty said they are 'not a get out of jail card' and people must still try to be healthy. GPs will roll out Mounjaro across the country from this month. The injections currently cost the NHS around £100 each but prices are expected to drop over time. Research increasingly shows they have health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, potentially including reducing the risks of cancer, dementia and heart diseases. These are not get-out-of-jail cards Professor Sir Chris Whitty Cholesterol-lowering statins have been used for decades to reduce heart attacks and strokes and now cost next to nothing at 3p a pill. Studies suggest they also reduce the risk of dementia, though it is not what they were designed for. Prof Powis said: 'The use of statins is now very different from when they first came out and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs. 'I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread. 'I think there will be a combination of increased evidence of positive outcomes and costs dropping, and we will learn better how to deploy them. 'It's not completely unusual for drugs over time to be found to have effects that go over and beyond what they were initially designed for. 'I am not starry-eyed about weight loss drugs but it's very exciting. 'We're in the foothills of learning how to use them.' NHS prescriptions surging NHS use of the jabs is already skyrocketing and official figures show prescriptions in England surged from 1.4million in 2023 to 2.7m in 2024. Doctors spent a total of £269million on them in the latest financial year and more than a million people are estimated to be buying them privately. Prof Whitty said it is important for people to still get help to eat healthily and exercise, as well as taking medicine. He added: 'These are not get out of jail cards. 'What we shouldn't do is use it as an excuse, as a society, not to deal with what is a rising and very serious problem.'
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Weight-loss jabs could soon be among most commonly used NHS drugs, top doctor says
Weight-loss jabs could soon become among the most commonly used drugs, the NHS 's top doctor has said. Professor Sir Stephen Powis said cheaper versions of the jabs, such as Mounjaro, could lead to widespread use and be as transformative as statins - one of the most highly prescribed drugs taken by around 7 million people in the UK. His comments come as the NHS prepares to roll out access to Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, in GP practices. Prof Powis told the NHS ConfedExpo conference the NHS needs to go 'further and faster' to 'turn the tide' on rising levels of obesity and said the drugs could one day be accessed in pharmacies. The outgoing medical director of NHS England told reporters the weight -loss jabs could also be targeted at patients waiting for operations who cannot have them due to their weight. But the government's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned the jabs would not be a 'get out of jail card' for public and social health measures. He told the conference: 'They're not a get out of jail card, which means we don't have to do other social things. It is unacceptable, for example, to be advertising obviously obesogenic foods to young children, on the basis of subsequently they might be able to have jabs to undo the damage which will otherwise be lifelong.' An estimated 1.5 million are taking weight loss jabs in the UK. The Independent recently reported on a case of a woman who was refused a hip operation due to her weight, who had been forced to pay privately for the jabs as she struggled to access them through the NHS. Later this month, GPs in England will be allowed to prescribe Mounjaro for the first time. Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight loss service. Prof Powis hailed the rollout in GP surgeries as an 'exciting milestone' and said NHS officials are also examining ways to 'broaden access to the drugs', such as through pharmacies and digital services. Around 29 per cent of adults in the UK are obese. Prof Powis said: 'Right now, obesity is estimated to cost the NHS approximately £11.4 billion every year – this financial burden is unsustainable for the NHS and wider economy. 'We have to turn the tide. We have to and will go further, and faster. 'In just a few years from now, some of today's weight loss drugs will be available at much lower cost. This could completely transform access to these innovative treatments. He said eventually there would be more drugs coming onto the market, which means prices would likely fall. He said: 'We have been through this with statins, and the use of statins is now very different from when they first came out, and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs.' 'So I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread, the evidence base will increase, we will learn better how to deploy them, we'll learn how long people need to be on them, and in terms of weight reduction, how much weight reduction is maintained once people come off – that's a big unknown,' he said. But he said he was not 'starry-eyed' about weight loss drugs, adding they are 'no silver bullet'. He told reporters: 'These medicines can be harmful if they are prescribed without the right checks and wraparound care – they can have side effects, including nausea, dehydration and inflammation of the pancreas, and a worrying number of people are continuing to access them without appropriate checks via the internet. Around 220,000 people are expected to benefit from the rollout of jabs at GP services over the next three years.
