National Partnership to tackle Health Inequalities in Coastal Communities

Lead Research Organisation: University of Liverpool
Department Name: Primary Care and Mental Health

Abstract

As shown by the Chief Medical Officer's 2021 report, coastal communities suffer some of the worst health outcomes in the country, and significant inequalities(1). In coastal towns, poverty, poor housing, limited opportunities and a low-wage economy(2) result in lower life expectancy and higher rates of major diseases compared to inland neighbours. Meanwhile, health services are overstretched(1). Creative community assets such as arts and culture organisations have the potential to improve lives(3), and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) aim to integrate community assets with preventive interventions and health and social care. However, collaboration between NHS, local authorities, universities, voluntary and community sector and residents is challenging because of differences in organisational objectives, structure, and culture. We need to understand how these stakeholders can come together to improve people's health.

Our approach

Building on our work in Phase 2 of this funding call, we will focus on three coastal areas with poor health in different regions of England: Blackpool, Weston-Super-Mare, and Hastings. We will work together, uniting these different stakeholders, to generate an evidence-based plan to support collaboration across sectors and with the community to tackle health inequalities. We will focus on key problem areas in mental health identified by our communities: young people's mental health and wellbeing; drug and alcohol (substance) misuse; and life-limiting illness and bereavement.

People

ORCID iD
Barbara Mezes (Principal Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0799-2423
Helen Shearn (Co-Investigator)
Sarah Hotham (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5525-3254
Heather Catt (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9515-7497
Lisa Buttery (Co-Investigator)
Julia Fortier (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0763-778X
Sophie Wickham (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7515-2979
Beverley Ashmore (Co-Investigator)
Lindsay Forbes (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4654-9520
Teresa Salami-Oru (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6139-4221
Judith Mills (Co-Investigator)
Tracy Hopkins (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6474-2551
John Macleod (Co-Investigator)
Henry Pollock (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1442-3413
Jonathan Hutchinson (Co-Investigator)
Josie Billington (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0632-612X
Mike Crowther (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0009-0006-1951-5436
Laura Albury (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0009-0002-6267-3588
Lesel Dawson (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3519-7662
Nicola ODriscoll (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0009-0009-1884-6390
Alice Malpass (Co-Investigator)
Alexandra Sawyer (Co-Investigator)
Nigel Sherriff (Co-Investigator)
Buket Kara (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4424-240X
Uschi Klein (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9487-1007
Helen Wheelock (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0009-0004-7068-1283
Lucy Ellen Selman (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5747-2699
Charlotte Chamberlain (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1891-7522
David Moss (Co-Investigator)
Susan Flowers (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9302-3492
Fiona Matthews (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7567-0795

Publications

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