A series of newly launched online tools could help councils predict how local health strategies will improve wellbeing and generate savings.
The Return on investment kit from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) allows local authorities to forecast the financial and health impact of investment in physical activity or alcohol-related public health programmes.
Users can select a location, local authority or Clinical Commissioning Group area and research the results of interventions to boost local health.
Available on NICE's website, the tool takes into account different approaches over the short, medium and long-term. Town halls will also be able to examine how different combinations of public health strategies can impact on their local community.
'Action to prevent ill-health improves and saves lives, as well as money. For example, preventing a 1% increase in the number of people who are overweight or obese could save the NHS and local authorities around £97 million per year,' professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE said.
'In this difficult economic climate, the huge potential of public health programmes to save local authorities money makes it an obvious win-win opportunity.'
Dr Justin Varney, consultant in public health medicine adults at Public Health England (PHE), said: 'PHE welcomes the new Physical Activity Return on Investment Tool produced by NICE. The tool will be invaluable to local authorities who wish to commission cost-effective services and interventions that help to get more people more active more often.'
