Received from: BDA
Congress notes with concern the deepening health inequalities across the UK, driven in large part by unequal access to affordable, nutritious food. As of January 2025, 7.3 million adults were experiencing food insecurity, disproportionately affecting children, disabled people, and single-parent families.
Congress acknowledges the publication of the NHS 10-Year Plan and its stated focus on prevention and population health. For this vision to succeed, the strategy must tackle the root causes of dietary inequality, including poverty, access, and education, through coordinated cross-government action and long-term public health investment.
Programmes such as Healthy Start remain essential lifelines but continue to be underfunded and poorly promoted. Community-led initiatives that improve access to nutritious food must be scaled up, particularly in areas of high deprivation.
Dietitians, as the only regulated health professionals specifically trained in nutrition, have a critical role in delivering this agenda. Their expertise should be embedded across multidisciplinary teams working in community settings to reduce health disparities and ease pressure on NHS services.
Congress calls on the government to:
i. expand and properly resource food access schemes including Healthy Start
ii. invest in local nutrition support targeted at areas of high need
iii. ensure the NHS 10-Year Plan delivers measurable action on diet-related health inequalities, backed by a well-resourced workforce including dietitians.
British Dietetic Association