Agenda item

Report of Dr Jane Moore, Director of Public Health

The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health concerning the commitment from both the Institute of Health Equality and Public Health England to work with Coventry as a Marmot City for a further period of three years, so raising the city’s profile as an exemplar city for reducing health inequalities. The report was also to be considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 24^th November and Council on 8^th December.

The report indicated that Coventry was one of seven cities in the UK chosen in 2013 to participate in the UK Marmot Network and become a Marmot City and develop a ‘Marmot’ approach to tackling health inequalities. In March 2015, Professor Sir Michael Marmot from University College London’s Institute of Health Equity and key leaders from Public Health England recognised the progress Coventry had made over the last two years and achievements to date, and committed to working in partnership for a further three years, with Coventry acting as an exemplar City for its approach to reducing health inequalities.

This partnership would enable Coventry to accelerate the progress that had been made in reducing health inequalities over the last two years and to develop a more focused, multi-agency approach to ensure that resources and efforts were concentrated where they could make the biggest difference. As an exemplar City, Coventry would share learning with the wider system and disseminate findings to other areas. Public Health England and University College London would provide expertise and knowledge to support Coventry, and to develop Coventry’s capability to measure the impact of the Marmot City programme.

As part of this, partners were working together to develop a Marmot strategy, which would form part of Coventry’s overall Health and Wellbeing strategy and be overseen by this Board. The strategy would consider the conditions which determine health, including: housing, employment, income, environment, and community, as well as access to health services and the overall health of the population, with a particular focus on young people, jobs and the economy, and improving outcomes for people from diverse backgrounds.

The Board noted that a stakeholder workshop was planned for November to further enable partners to contribute to the progression of the strategy and action plan. A launch event was provisionally planned for 27^th January, 2016. Once developed the Marmot Strategy would run from April 2016 to March 2019. The Marmot Steering Group, directly accountable to the Board, would provide strategic leadership to oversee the further development and implementation of the strategy, progressing the action plan in collaboration with wider stakeholders.

The Chair, Councillor Caan placed on record his thanks to the Leader, Councillor Lucas, the previous Chair, Councillor Gingell and to Dr Jane Moore, Director of Public Health for all their hard work and to the partnership working which had led to the city’s achievements as a Marmot city.

RESOLVED that the proposed partnership arrangement and approach for Coventry continuing at a Marmot City be approved and Cabinet and Council be informed accordingly.