Medway is another step towards becoming an official ‘Marmot Place’ following the publication of a new report on health inequalities.
Under the Marmot Place approach, cities and regions are recognised for their commitment to lifelong improvements in health equity and social justice, and the new report from the Institute of Health Equity lays out the road ahead on the journey.
In Medway there’s a 10-year gap in life expectancy between residents who live just 4 miles apart, and the Medway Marmot Place Partnership recognises these inequalities can be reduced in a number of ways - such as providing safe and secure housing, fair work, and quality education.
The report - Medway Marmot Place Partnership: Together for a fairer, healthier future - draws on feedback from resident engagement and recognises work already underway, including the creation of a map listing existing relevant services.
Published today, Tuesday 7 April, the report also sets out recommendations of things we need to do to become a Marmot Place, including:
- Take action on the eight Marmot principles; beginning with inequalities in the early years, childhood and young people, and improving inclusive, culturally sensitive and accessible family support.
- Strengthen cultures and systems for health equity in Medway. This includes strengthening partnerships in Medway for health equity; identifying and engaging Medway’s anchor organisations; and strengthening the role of businesses and the economic sector for health equity.
- Transformational Processes; ensure health equity in all policies, programmes and services, and developing existing programmes.
- Develop a health equity Marmot network across Medway.
An important milestone for Medway
Cllr Teresa Murray, Medway Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Public Health, said: “this report represents an important milestone and a big step for Medway in its journey to becoming a Marmot Place. It’s great to see how people and organisations across Medway are working together on this path of improvement, helping to create better lifestyles and outcomes for generations to come. This is just the start but we have already made great strides and I’m optimistic our work will accelerate on the back of the report.”
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, said: “Medway have set an ambitious goal to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy over the next decade. This report is clear about the challenge ahead, while offering real optimism about what can be done when you think creatively about engaging residents and mapping the services that already exist.
The breadth of system-wide involvement in this Partnership, as evidenced in this report, puts Medway in a strong position to turn ambition into sustainable action on health equity for many years to come."