Scholar

Adam Briggs

H-index: 28
Public Health 39%
Medicine 17%
admbriggs.bsky.social
At @healthfoundation.bsky.social, we've written about the kinds of changes to national policy that can help support the building blocks of health such as access to green space and creating a healthy environment in various reports.

For example, here: www.health.org.uk/topics/wider...

/end
Wider determinants of health
Discover the building blocks of a healthy society and the links between people’s health and inequalities and these wider factors
www.health.org.uk
admbriggs.bsky.social
These data - together with the ongoing inequalities in % of people who are active - suggest structural barriers remain that mean not everyone has the same opportunity to live active lives, and to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that come from this.
admbriggs.bsky.social
There are also differences in attitudes with people from lower socioeconomic groups and with a disability / long term health condition being less likely to feel they have the ability and opportunity to be active.
admbriggs.bsky.social
There's tonnes more on things like attitudes, outcomes and type of activity.

In particular, note v disappointing drop in people walking for leisure or using active travel compared with last yr.

+ cycling numbers are the lowest since survey started - although the numbers running has increased.
admbriggs.bsky.social
And many inequalities are widening.

For example, in 15/16, 58.0% of adults living in the most deprived areas of England (bottom three deciles) were active compared to 55.5% now.

By contrast, the % of active adults who live in the least deprived three deciles has increased from 66.1% to 68.9%.
admbriggs.bsky.social
But there are big differences between different population groups.

Levels of activity are higher among men, people in higher socio-economic groups, living in less deprived areas, younger adults, people of Mixed or White ethnicity, and people without a disability or long-term health condition.
admbriggs.bsky.social
This is an annual nationally representative (huge) survey of 172,000 adults in England providing valuable data on national trends in physical activity.

The headline's that 63.7% of adults are 'active' - doing more than 150mins of 'moderate intensity' activity a week - the highest % since 2015/16.
admbriggs.bsky.social
New @bmj.com opinion piece with Zoe Rostas out this evening unpicking our @healthfoundation.bsky.social / @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social public health polling data:

www.bmj.com/content/389/...
admbriggs.bsky.social
Our polling shows broad support for gov interventions that represent a bolder national approach to tackling these leading risk factors.

This bolder approach is essential if Labour is to meet its ambitions to improve healthy life expectancy, drive economic growth and reduce inequalities. 10/
admbriggs.bsky.social
Tobacco, alcohol & unhealthy food remain the leading preventable causes of poor health.

With the Tobacco & Vapes Bill in progress, gov has shown it can act on public health.

However, they are yet to set out a comprehensive approach to obesity policy, and alcohol policy remains neglected. 9/
admbriggs.bsky.social
Support also varies by deprivation level.

Support outweighs opp for all policies across all deprivation quintiles, but is lower among people living in more deprived areas for policies like limiting fast food outlets near schools and introducing a tax on companies producing foods high in sugar/salt.
admbriggs.bsky.social
Support for some policies varies by voting intention.

For example, MUP and extending the indoor smoking ban to include outdoor spaces in the hospitality sector have net support among people who intended to vote Lab, Con & Lib Dem, but net opposition among those intending to vote Reform. 6/
admbriggs.bsky.social
Lowest levels of support - although still net positive - were for alcohol policies.

This includes minimum unit pricing (MUP) where 46% support compared with 31% oppose, and banning marketing of alcohol at sporting events (48% support and 23% oppose). 5/
admbriggs.bsky.social
There was also majority support for a range of unhealthy food policies.

This includes limiting fast food outlets near schools and introducing a tax on orgs that produce foods high in sugar or salt and using the revenue for fruit and veg for low income families. 4/
admbriggs.bsky.social
Support outweighs opposition across all interventions polled this time around.

The policy with most support was extending the indoor smoking ban to outdoor spaces such as parks and hospitals.

And there was also net support for extending it to outdoor spaces in pubs, bars, cafes and clubs 3/
admbriggs.bsky.social
This round of polling was from Nov 2024. We asked about a range of policies aimed at tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food.

As with previous rounds, we were able to separate results by factors including age, deprivation level and voting intention – including for the first time Reform UK. 2/
admbriggs.bsky.social
Today, we've published new @healthfoundation.bsky.social / @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social showing the public supports bolder policy approaches to tackle alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food. 1/n

www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/art...
Graph summarising Health Foundation / Ipsos polling data. It shows levels of public support across a range of population-level public health policies, some of which are summarised in the thread.
admbriggs.bsky.social
ICYMI, welcome confirmation on Monday of supplementary drug and alcohol funding for local authorities for 25/26.

Although a single year allocation coming right at the end of the financial year doesn't make service planning any easier for local public health teams.

www.gov.uk/government/p...
Drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding allocations: 2025 to 2026
www.gov.uk

Reposted by: Adam Briggs

hazelcheeseman.bsky.social
APPG on Smoking and Health publish report today on how the government can make smoking obsolete. Top line recommendations here
This image describes the recommendations made in the APPG on Smoking and Health's report calling on government to publish a roadmap to a smokefree country
admbriggs.bsky.social
V enjoyable discussion on The Future of Health Equity at #UKHSA25 yesterday.

Thanks to Shona Arora for guiding us through questions on what an equitable health system looks like, and the challenges & opportunities in getting there.

Hats off to conf. organisers for tackling health equity head on.
Photo of the panel discussion, with Bola Owolabi, Greg Fell, Shona Arora, Dave Buck and Adam Briggs. Photo of details of session, it reads:
Participants: Dr Shona Arora - Director, Health Equity and Clinical Governance, UKHSA ; Adam Briggs - Senior Policy Fellow, The Health Foundation ; David Buck - Senior Fellow, Public Health and Inequalities, The King's Fund ; Greg Fell - Director of Public Health for Sheffield ; Professor Bola Owolabi - Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, NHS England

Outline: This session will imagine a future, model health system where health equity is embedded at its core. Panellists will discuss what the key levers are that need to be implemented and how our health system needs to evolve to make this change a reality.

Participants will leave with an understanding of the systemic and structural barriers within our health system which currently limit our ability to improve equitable health outcomes in England. Participants will then also learn what top three or four interventions could be implemented to address these problems. We hope that attendees will then look at opportunities to make these interventions happen within their own areas of work.
admbriggs.bsky.social
V much looking forward to discussing the Future of Health Equity at 2:35 today, with Shona Arora and intimidatingly impressive panel, Bola Owolabi, @felly500.bsky.social and @davidjbuck.bsky.social.

Lots to unpick on what needs to change to better embed equity in health and PH.
#UKHSA25
ukhsa.bsky.social
Hello from Manchester! 👋

Today is day 1 of UKHSA Conference 2025. If you’re attending please tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #UKHSA25
Outside UKHSA Conference 2025

Reposted by: Adam Briggs

ukhsa.bsky.social
Hello from Manchester! 👋

Today is day 1 of UKHSA Conference 2025. If you’re attending please tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #UKHSA25
Outside UKHSA Conference 2025
admbriggs.bsky.social
Putting the Folk into Manchester Folk Festival.
admbriggs.bsky.social
Thank you Manchester Folk Festival and New Century Hall. That was proper fun.

(And yes, I did use my NHS Health Check bottle on stage, I know our demographic)

#GetYourFreeNHSHealthCheck #MFF
admbriggs.bsky.social
Last week, a @bmj.com opinion piece suggested that the NHS Health Check should be abolished and instead, everyone over 50 should be given a polypill.

Here's why it's not such a great idea and what could perhaps be done instead 👇
www.bmj.com/content/388/...
There’s no quick fix for preventing heart disease, but we have the tools we need to make an impact
www.bmj.com
admbriggs.bsky.social
Thinking of public health NHS and DHSC / OHID colleagues who went through PHE’s dissolution during the pandemic just four years ago and are again facing huge professional uncertainty.

Your work remains essential and hugely valued. Thank you.
admbriggs.bsky.social
New opinion piece in @bmj.com on the £200m uplift in the 2025/26 local authority public health grant allocation: is it really enough to shift the dial on prevention and public health?

tl,dr: No, it's not. Yet.

More here 👇
www.bmj.com/content/388/...

And some charts / stats in the thread below.

References

Fields & subjects

Updated 1m