Good health is fundamental to creating a thriving society.
We face many challenges including entrenched health inequalities, higher than average levels of child poverty and obesity, and some of the highest levels of mental health conditions in the country.
We also have growing numbers of people living with long-term conditions who require person-centred, coordinated care at a time when public services face significant financial challenges and rising demand for services.
The tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic showed us that health inequalities persist in our communities and there is a lack of trust in the healthcare system. We need a system that serves everyone fairly.
There is a 7 year difference in life expectancy between residents in the most and least deprived areas of the borough, and this needs to change. This requires a preventative long-term approach by focusing not just of direct care, but also on the wider social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, such as access to clean air and green spaces.
Public health improvements cannot rely solely on the health sector, and it requires a joined-up approach across organisations and newly emerging governance structures.
Our new Health and Wellbeing Strategy will be created with a range of stakeholders and communities across the borough to ensure we provide a joined up and resident centred approach to our public health duties.
We're taking a holistic preventative approach to supporting residents with wider education, employment, and housing opportunities to improve their long-term health outcomes.
Our ambition
Our ambition is that all residents can enjoy long, healthy and fulfilling lives, in a thriving and well-connected community, where every person is equipped with the resources, support and opportunities to thrive.
We want to make health everyone's business, and to provide the right services in the right place, first time.
Short term goals
In the short term, we will:
- deliver on the aims of our Public Health and Suicide Prevention strategies, and refresh our Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- drive forward our 'Building Trust' project with residents, community groups and NHS North-West London to restore trust in healthcare systems
- target reducing health inequalities and improving life expectancy, including supporting the NHS Core20Plus initiative to reduce inequalities across mental health, chronic respiratory diseases, and early cancer diagnosis services
- act to deliver all our statutory responsibilities in partnership with the North-West London Integrated Care Board and other partners.
Long term goals
In the long term, we will:
- continue to deliver a range of services including sexual health, public health advice and population health protection
- continue to deliver quality assurance of immunisation and vaccine hesitancy programmes and increase the uptake of these programmes such as tuberculosis and flu vaccinations
- deliver our Air Quality Action Plan, by tackling the sources of pollution, raising awareness of local emissions, and working with partners to reduce pollution
- publish and deliver on a new Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- tackle health inequalities that residents from global majority backgrounds experience to prevent early morbidity rates
- address systematic health inequalities women face accessing services and treatment.