Dr George Leeson highlighted the role of public health visitors in achieving long term public health benefits, including a reduction in health inequalities, in an interview today with Radio Oxford.
Talking in response to local government decisions to withdraw health visitors who aim to maintain healthy life styles in the community, Dr Leeson stressed the important long term benefits of such initiatives.
In Scandinavia, he said , where such schemes have been in operation for some time now, it is clear that they can play a vital role not only in improving individual's health status and well being, but also in tackling health inequalities in the wider population, and reducing long term disability and thus the long term public health bill.
Dr Leeson will be interviewed in this tonight on BBC News South at 6.30 PM
