The man closely involved in designing the current GMS contract for GPs is to lead a new drive for more physical activity amongst the English population.
Mike Farrar, considered to be one of the architects of the GMS contract, has been appointed as health champion for the NHS, responsible for embedding physical activity across the health service.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham has announced a drive to encourage more physical activity to improve the UK’s health and to cut costs to the health service because of poor health.
Health professionals, said Mr Burnham, should see improving activity rates and getting their patients moving as central to their work.
The idea is to make the nation healthier as the UK moves towards hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 and to move Britain up the European league table in terms of physical activity – the UK is currently in 21st place in Europe when levels of physical activity are compared.
Mr Burnham said: “We are a sport-loving nation but we are simply nowhere near as active as we should be. Promoting active lifestyles is the simple answer to many of the big challenges facing our country today. It can save us money and ease the burden on public services. The NHS has the green light to be bold and creative to help people to be fitter and more healthy.
"Just as five years ago, we set ourselves the target of coming fourth in the 2012 Olympic medal tables, now I want us to aspire to fourth place in the physical activity league tables over the next 10 years.”
More than 2.5million people are on incapacity benefit in the UK and the DH has calculated that if just 1% of those people adopted healthier lifestyles, this would save the Exchequer £36 million and industry £31 million.
More than a third of these people are on benefits because of mental health problems or muscular or skeletal disorders – both of which could respond well to tailored physical activity programmes.
Mike Farrar is currently chief executive of NHS North West, a former NHS Confederation lead negotiator at the time when the GMS contract was drawn up and agreed, and was also head of primary care at the DH, during which time he established PCTs.
Mr Farrar will be responsible for embedding physical activity across the health service as a health champion for the NHS.
A new cross government ministerial summit will also take place, chaired by Mr Burnham.