Churches in the UK are providing essential health-related support services that would cost the National Health Service (NHS) billions of pounds a year to deliver, according to new research from the National Churches Trust.
Titled “The House of Good: Health”, the report reveals that churches play a crucial role in providing a growing list of vital health services, including youth groups, food banks, drug and alcohol addiction support, and mental health counseling. These services are directly provided or hosted by churches, relieving significant cost pressures on the NHS worth an estimated £8.4 billion each year.
This amount is equivalent to the cost of employing 230,000 nurses and represents about 4% of the total UK public health spending. However, this health dividend is at risk as an increasing number of churches are facing closure.
The report will be launched in the House of Commons on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at an event sponsored by Ruth Jones MP. The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of London, welcomed the report, stating: “Churches and other faith groups play an extremely important role in the health and wellbeing of their communities, and in our collective health.”
She added, “There is a church in every community, including the most deprived, and many have been serving their communities for generations. It is encouraging to see the value of their provision being recognized in this report, with inspiring case studies.”
The report was co-authored by value and social impact consultancy State of Life, whose team explains the economics behind their findings. They used Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), a value for money metric used by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), to determine the healthcare value of four support services provided in church buildings: youth groups, food banks, drug and alcohol addiction support, and mental health counseling. They also took into account the positive health benefits experienced by volunteers, who not only contribute their time but also improve their own wellbeing in the process.
The results show that the cost relief provided by churches is equivalent to about 4% of the total UK public health spending. However, the authors note that this is a conservative valuation, as churches also provide a wide range of other support services that contribute to health and wellbeing.
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: “The UK’s 38,500 churches promote the positive mental and physical health that helps people thrive. They provide locations for health treatments. They prevent conditions that would otherwise send more patients through GP or hospital doors. They’re our National Help Service.”
She continued, “Our new research, ‘The House of Good: Health’, shows for the first time that the value of the health-related support services provided in church buildings is at least £8.4 billion a year. These findings and figures are remarkable, but also alarming. Without urgent support, we risk losing this shock absorber for the NHS and a vital safety net for the most vulnerable people in our society.”
The report also includes a case study on the role of churches in providing support for alcohol addiction. The fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a widely recognized program that helps individuals recover from alcoholism. In the UK, there are over 4,000 AA groups, with many of them meeting in church buildings. One of these groups meets regularly at St Martin’s church in Roath, Cardiff, where a member shared their experience of finding support and relief through the meetings.
The Vicar of St Martin in Roath, Fr Irving Hamer, also explained the role of the church in providing a space for the AA group and the positive impact it has had on members.
In conclusion, the report highlights the significant cost relief provided by church buildings and the vital role they play in promoting health and wellbeing in communities. It also emphasizes the need for urgent support to prevent the closure of churches, which would result in the loss of this essential safety net for the NHS and the most vulnerable members of society.
For more information, please contact Eddie Tulasiewicz, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the National Churches Trust, at 07742 932278 or visit nationalchurchestrust.org.
This press release was distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.
