Mr. Chris Macey:

I think strategies are often a means to an end in terms of kicking a can down the road. If it is decided to have a strategy, that will take a few years, it will not be published for a bit after that, there will be another wait before there is any implementation plan, and then there will be another wait again. I think it is often used as a tactic not to do things, which is very unfortunate. The term “implementation deficit disorder” was coined a few years ago and it is something that is, unfortunately, a problem.

With regard to why heart disease and stroke are so poorly prioritised compared to other things, I tend to think that it is partly because a high proportion of the people affected are older people. That is part of it, unfortunately, and I think it is another area where, as a society, we need to be better.