Country's Health 'Ticking Timebomb'

THE UK is facing a "ticking timebomb" of ill health which is damaging to the economy, doctors have warned as they urged the Government to rethink its approach.

In a new report, the British Medical Association (BMA) said that good population health was "essential" for sustainable economic growth.

"A major barrier to improving population health is the perception that economic growth will automatically lead to better health," it said.

"We challenge this perception in our report as it ignores the complex relationship between economic growth and health.

"Economic growth in itself is not sufficient to improve health and poor population health will ultimately have an inevitable adverse impact on the economy"