‘Devolution should mean designing with communities, not simply for them’

Our health is shaped by far more than traditional healthcare. In fact, conditions like our income, good work, education, secure housing, transport, food, the environment, family connections, and access to services all influence whether people are able to live well. These conditions also shape our health choices and habits, including smoking, alcohol use, diet, and physical activity. Together, they account for a staggering 85% of our health and wellbeing.

Yet, despite the huge impact our environment and behaviour has on our health, the system still concentrates much of its effort and resource on treating illness rather than on these wider factors that can help to prevent it. This in turn leaves much of the responsibility to our already overstretched health and care services.

This is why the shift from sickness to prevention is so critical, and why devolution creates such an important opportunity. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act proposes reforms intended to reduce the unfair differences in health outcomes and improve health and wellbeing across communities.