MPs back calls for health services at stadiums

Nearly 60 MPs now support a motion in the House of Commons calling for health providers to make more use of stadiums.

The Early Day Motion follows a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Men's Health that heard how public health campaigns and health checks have been taken to football or rugby groups and how sports clubs are using their place in the community to help improve the health of local people.

Chair of the group, Dr Howard Stoate MP, was prompted to table the motion after hearing NHS Oldham's Colin Avery at the meeting. Colin told the group that despite the success of such work in reaching men there was no support or encouragement for it or for other areas wishing to develop similar programmes.

The motion is:

That this House welcomes the development of public health programmes that take advantage of sports stadiums' and sports clubs' position in communities to reach men with health information and services; notes the programmes run by NHS Oldham and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation; further notes the research and co-ordination provided by the Men's Health Forum and the Federation of Stadium Communities; and calls on the Government to support the further development of such programmes by health providers and sports organisations.

Updates on support for the motion are on Parliament's website. If your MP has not yet backed the motion you can contact them and ask them to do so or ask them to raise the issues with the government.