Cheshire West and Chester Council has become the first local authority in the country to complete the Local Government Association’s (LGA) new Public Health Peer Review process.
The peer review forms part of the LGA’s Public Health Improvement Programme, which has been established to provide councils with additional support to deliver their statutory public health responsibilities and improve health outcomes.
Public Health Peer Reviews provide structured, supportive external challenge from experienced sector peers, who act as a ‘critical friend’ to help councils identify their strengths, opportunities for shared learning and areas for improvement. The approach is designed to support continuous improvement and help councils turn recommendations into practical action.
The review involves a period of preparation followed by three days of meetings and focus groups with internal and external stakeholders. The findings are then brought together in a report, which informs the council’s improvement planning.
The new programme responds to the Government’s Fit for the future: 10-year Health Plan for England, which sets an expectation that upper-tier and unitary councils will participate in an external Public Health Peer Review on a five-year cycle.
Professor Helen Bromley, Director of Public Health for Cheshire West and Chester, said:
“It is a fantastic accomplishment to be the first local authority to complete this rigorous process from the Local Government Association and I am incredibly proud of my team for the hard work they have put in to prepare for this. I am delighted to say that the feedback we have had so far has been overwhelmingly positive and I look forward to seeing the full report published on the LGA’s website in the coming weeks.”
The LGA plans to deliver 90 Public Health Peer Reviews across England between 2026 and 2029, making Cheshire West and Chester’s completion an early milestone in the national programme.
