Last week, Dan spoke to local employers about the importance of promoting good health and wellbeing in the workplace at an event held by Healthy Ambitions Suffolk at Trinity Park, Ipswich.
As both an NHS doctor and a Government Health Minister, Dan knows how a happy, healthy and committed workplace is a more productive workplace and drew attention to the link between good physical and mental health. He also highlighted the need to tackle our big health challenges such as smoking, alcohol misuse and obesity and to help people to live longer and healthier lives. Whether it is taking the stairs instead of using the lift or eating healthier foods at work, we can all take some simple steps to make us more active at work and our local business have a key role to play in encouraging us to make healthy choices. The Government has now given local councils a new responsibility to improve health and wellbeing in their communities and recently awarded Suffolk County Council £26 million to help get people healthier.
Healthy Ambitions Suffolk was a project launched in 2008 with the goal of making Suffolk the healthiest county by 2028 by bringing together local businesses, community groups and individuals. Dan would like to give his thanks to everyone at Healthy Ambitions Suffolk for their continued hard work and to congratulate local accountancy practice, Larking Gowen of Claydon, on winning one of the Healthy Ambitions 2012 Better Health Business awards.