With a growing number of older people living for longer in England and public expenditure in difficulties, meeting the cost of health and social care is becoming increasingly challenging. The Office for National Statistics estimates that between 2010 and 2022, the number of people aged 65 years and over will rise by 27 per cent, and those aged 85 years and over by 44 per cent. Most will require care as they get older. It is also estimated that 62 per cent of adults are now overweight or obese, with one in three expected to be obese by 2034. And one in 10 people in the UK will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

The focus of NHS health promotion is to reduce premature mortality and improve prevention and early diagnosis. With this in mind, the NHS Health Check was introduced in 2009 and the National Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme in 2016.