A major new programme, aiming to achieve better health across West Norfolk’s communities, has been formally launched with a visit by world-renowned academic, researcher and campaigner, Professor Sir Michael Marmot.
As Norfolk’s first “Marmot Place”, West Norfolk is adopting eight evidence-based principles* to reduce health inequalities, developed by Sir Michael and his team from the University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE). Health inequalities are the unfair and avoidable differences in health across a population or groups.
Led by the Borough Council, in partnership with Norfolk County Council Public Health, and Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board, the Marmot Place Programme will tackle health inequalities between communities through action on the “social determinants” of health – those wider, social and economic conditions in which we live, grow, work and age.
Over the next two years, working with other partners across West Norfolk, the programme will first identify priorities for system changes, which longer-term will help improve health equity across all sectors, including housing, education, early years, health care, business and the economic sector.
In West Norfolk, around 23,300 people are living in areas that are amongst the 20% most deprived in England. Starkly, the gap in life expectancy between the most deprived areas and least deprived communities is 11.5 years – the largest of any Norfolk district.**
Councillor Jo Rust, Cabinet Member for People and Communities at the Borough Council, said: “We are one of few district councils leading a Marmot Place programme in the UK. With the support of our partners, we are committed to this great opportunity to help improve the healthy life expectancy and life chances of people across our neighbourhoods, including narrowing the gap between the most and least affluent communities and groups.
“We all want to ensure the conditions in which someone is born, raised, lives and works can provide a solid foundation for good health. As a rural borough, we are particularly interested in the impact of rurality on health and health inequalities. Drawing on the expertise of the Marmot team, we look forward to working closely with our partners to understand, develop and embed new and innovative ways of working to address the avoidable, unfair and systematic differences. Together we can make a difference to ensure fairer health outcomes and improve lives.”
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity explained: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, which is one of the few district councils in our growing family of Marmot Places. We are working with more than 50 places across the UK, which are doing phenomenal work, against huge budget restrictions, to improve local residents lives by addressing the social determinants of health (where we are born, grow, live, work and age).
It is particularly challenging to promote health equity in rural areas, as public services, which help ameliorate health inequalities, are less accessible. Public transport is needed to access schools, GP surgeries and other public facilities. The learning created from King’s Lynn and West Norfolk will form a vital part of our growing knowledge to share with other places on specific actions needed in specific places.”
Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive of NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to improve the health of people living in West Norfolk. Vital though it is, the NHS only accounts for a fraction of our physical and mental health. All the rest depends on other things, such as whether we have decent work, enough money, a warm home and clean air. With local organisations working together like this, we will have a much bigger impact on improving people’s health.”
Councillor Fran Whymark, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing at Norfolk County Council, said: “The Marmot Place Programme is a major step towards addressing health inequalities in West Norfolk. The programme seeks to address the underlying causes of inequality and promote health equity. Working with our partners we aim to create healthier futures for our residents. Only by doing this will we improve the health and wellbeing of all Norfolk people, informed by best practice and evidence.”
The new collaboration was launched at an event on 12 March at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, with an appearance from Professor Sir Michael himself. Organisations from across the county – ranging from NHS, county and district councils, businesses and voluntary sector – attended and signalled their commitment to this partnership work.
The new link-up will also help prioritise local resources, guide commissioning and inform bids for relevant funding, all with the support of partners from the NHS, academia and the third sector.
