(North Ayrshire Council press release)
North Ayrshire Council is one of three Scottish local authorities that are collaborating with health experts on ways to improve health and well-being for residents.
The wide-ranging partnership will examine ways to strengthen and accelerate actions that will reduce health inequities for people living in North Ayrshire, Aberdeen City and South Lanarkshire.
Health boards in each of the three areas will also work alongside Public Health Scotland (PHS) and University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE), on the two-year-long Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland.
The local partnership was officially launched recently (Tuesday 25 February) at Saltcoats Town Hall and Councillor Marie Burns, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, welcomed attendees including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the IHE, as keynote speaker.
Councillor Marie Burns, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, said: “It is encouraging to hear about the improvements that have been made to the lives of people – in terms of their health, life expectancy and quality of life – living in other areas where Professor Marmot and the IHE have worked. And the launch in Saltcoats marked the start of an exciting partnership approach to helping make life better for residents here in North Ayrshire.”
The partnership approach will see the three councils working with independent experts to receive practical guidance and support to introduce positive change at local level.
North Ayrshire Council engaged with partners from the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and Integration Joint Board (IJB) before submitting an expression of interest to be involved, which was subsequently accepted.
The Collaboration will offer guidance that is aligned with the Council’s “wellbeing” priority, which includes helping residents to navigate the continuing Cost-of-Living Crisis and tackling child poverty.
Following the local launch, Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, said: “I was so energised by the enthusiasm in the room. Social inequalities are having a major impact on the health of the people of North Ayrshire.
“But there is real commitment to create the conditions for good health from community representatives, local leaders in government, education, the voluntary and community sector, health and care, police and fire and rescue. Working together we can make a real difference.”
Councillor Margaret Johnson, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care at North Ayrshire Council, said: “The Collaboration’s objectives, including giving every child the best start in life and ensuring a healthy standard of living for everyone, align directly with our values. The health and well-being of those living in our communities is paramount, and I look forward to seeing the positive outcomes from this project.”
Lisa Davidson, Assistant Director of Public Health at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, added: “Working together, we are committed to preventing ill-health and tackling inequalities. This initiative will help in our efforts to do that, as it will help to accelerate and expand our work to improve public health in Ayrshire and Arran.
“This partnership reinforces our long-term commitment and ambitions to improve the lives of our citizens today and for future generations.”
Factors in the Council wanting to join the CHES programme include male and female life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy, all being lower than the national average.
North Ayrshire also has the third-highest rate of economic inactivity across Scotland – 29.9 per cent against a national average of 22.9 per cent – and the second-highest rate of long-term limiting illness across Scotland at 41 per cent.
Evidence shows there are links between the area’s health, social and economic inequities, and that there are also significant differences between the six Localities.
Paul Johnston, Public Health Scotland’s Chief Executive, added: “Our mission in Public Health Scotland is to see life expectancy increase and health inequalities reduced.
“The circumstances in which we are born, live and work have a huge impact on the length and quality of our lives. People born in the most deprived areas are dying, on average, a decade earlier than their wealthier neighbours.
“It’s possible to change this by taking action across the range of factors that impact on health and wellbeing. That is what this new partnership is all about.
“We’re looking forward to working with our partners in North Ayrshire and learning together with a determined focus to see improvement in health, wellbeing and life expectancy across Scotland.”
Part of the Collaboration’s work will focus on the most effective areas for intervention in Scotland to make meaningful progress in closing inequities in healthy life expectancy, which is the average number of years people can expect to live in good health; and how national and local organisations can work more effectively to close the gap between policy intent and impact in these areas.
Professor Marmot and the IHE have worked with more than 50 local areas in England and have a proven track record of significantly reducing inequalities in each of them. For instance, since becoming a Marmot City in 2013, Coventry has seen an increase of six months in life expectancy.