2020 Public Service Trust

"The 2020 Public Services Trust at the RSA is a new, independent, think tank, which brings together policy makers, public service managers, civil servants, business and third sector leaders and consumer voices to debate and research how to improve public services."

• What will be the characteristics required of public services to respond to the new challenges of 2020 Britain and what will the basis of the social contract between the individual and the state?
• How can social cohesion be maintained in the context of greater diversity and the development of personalised public services?
• How can behavioural challenges, both at a community and individual level, best be responded to?
• What organisational framework would be needed to deliver 2020 public services, how would they be paid for?
• How can citizens be properly empowered over public services, what role should the central state play, what should be devolved to local level?
• And how can we move towards a system based on commissioning for better outcomes?

Join Ben Lucas, director of the 2020 Public Services Trust, Alan Johnson MP, Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA to discuss public health. On Thursday 19 March at 10am Public Health: how to influence behaviour - nudge or nanny?

The perils of infectious disease, which shaped the NHS in the 20th century, have largely receded. The majority of illness in this country is caused by poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise. Poor health is disproportionately seen in disadvantaged communities, where poor local services and limited opportunities to exercise conspire with poor education and low aspiration.

The great challenge for policy makers is how to influence people's behaviour - if health and wellbeing is to a large part decided by the day-to-day choices that people make, then when and how should the government intervene?