Veganism: A £7bn lifesaver for NHS

As reported by OHE, new research unveils potential savings of £6.7bn per year and over two million fewer disease cases if England adopts a plant-based diet, urging policymakers to consider the health and financial benefits

One of the most striking findings of the analysis is the estimated total healthcare cost savings achieved through lower incidence of some of the major diseases that currently affect people in the UK and other Western societies. With a complete shift to a plant-based diet in England, the study suggests a possible annual saving for the NHS of approximately £6.7 billion across all considered diseases. On top of this, the population could benefit from more than 2 million fewer cases of disease, corresponding to an additional 172,735 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Valuing QALYs in line with the UK’s Department for Health and Social Care and adding these figures together, we arrive at a total net benefit to the NHS of around £18.8 billion per year.

The economic implications of these findings are profound. According to the study, the majority of the potential savings would come from avoiding almost 1.3 million cases of type 2 diabetes. This is particularly significant given the substantial financial and resource strain diabetes places on the NHS. Adopting a plant-based diet could serve as a preventive measure, reducing the burden of chronic diseases that consume a significant portion of healthcare resources.

From a policy perspective, these findings are novel and important. They underscore the need for policymakers to consider the potential health benefits and cost savings associated with encouraging plant-based diets. Such measures could improve public health and relieve economic pressure on the healthcare system.

The Vegan Society, which funded the analysis, says this money could be used to cover the annual budgets of at least seven of England’s hospitals. It could also fund the yearly salaries of 65,000 consultants or 185,000 nurses.

“There is now compelling evidence that plant-based diets can benefit people’s health.”

One of the report’s authors, Dr Chris Sampson, a senior principal economist at the OHE, explained: “Our analysis takes a significant step towards understanding how dietary choices impact population health and NHS expenditure overall.

“For every million people making the switch to a vegan diet the anticipated reduction in illness could save the NHS a staggering £121m.”

The OHE, which is a registered charity and independent research organisation, is now calling for future research to investigate the “casual effects” of the vegan diet on health outcomes and healthcare resources across different populations.

Claire Ogley, the head of campaigns, policy and research at the Vegan Society, said: “It’s encouraging to see increasing evidence that plant-based diets can be not only beneficial to individual health but could also benefit the NHS on a bigger scale.”