Prevention

Abstract Chapter 4 examines the pursuit of prevention, with a case study of the long-running flagship NHS Health Check programme. Drawing on documentary sources, I chart the strange persistence of an unloved programme in early intervention despite scepticism and doubt even among the officials and professionals most centrally involved in its rollout. I show that the common commitment to prevention works to justify this programme (and its subsequent extensions and expansions) while also giving space for other actors in public health to question the programme and push for more radical measures. I link these findings to important new work on anticipatory governance, horizon-scanning and foresight initiatives in relation to the environment and technology to flesh out understandings of the power and impact of long-term thinking in policymaking.