Five million people suffer from loneliness in France. An evil which does not spare the other side of the Channel either, which tries to remedy it with innovative strategies. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May has indeed announced new measures, such as the authorization for general practitioners to prescribe “social” activities to their patients, such as dance lessons. “This strategy is only the beginning of a long and profound social change in our country – but it is a vital first step in a national mission to end the loneliness of our lives”, she declared, relayed by the BBC this Monday, October 15.
A “growing social injustice”
As part of the long-term plan, funding will be allocated so that patients of the National Health Service (NHS) – the body that provides most of the care in the UK – can participate in various activities to fight the disease. solitude. By 2023, for example, they will be able to take part in cooking classes or join walking clubs. An additional envelope of 1.8 million pounds sterling (over 2 million euros) will be earmarked for the development of community projects, such as the creation of new cafes, artistic spaces or gardens.
In addition, according to the British government, 200,000 elderly people would not have social interaction for more than a month, whether with a friend or a member of the family. Loneliness particularly affects seniors, due to loss of autonomy or illness. In partnership with Royal Mail, the country’s postal operator, the country wants to give delivery people a leading role in the fight against isolation. Postal employees will therefore be able, during their rounds, to check the well-being of isolated people.
Theresa May finally paid tribute to Labor MP Jo Cox, a fervent campaigner against loneliness before his assassination in 2016: “Jo Cox was absolutely right to stress the crucial importance of this growing social injustice which coexists with obesity and the mental well-being of children, the health problems of our time”. Last January, the British government had already taken a first step against this scourge by appointing a secretary of state responsible for isolated people, Tracey Crouch.
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