Leading public health experts have highlighted the power of collaboration in tackling health inequalities at this year’s prestigious Haygarth Public Health Lecture, hosted by the University of Chester and Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Professor Ian Ashworth, Director of Population Health at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, and Professor Helen Bromley, Director of Public Health for Cheshire West and Chester, spoke about the All Together Fairer programme, a groundbreaking initiative uniting public, private, and voluntary sector partners to improve health equity across the region. Both are Visiting Professors at the University of Chester.
The lecture showcased stark realities: people in the most deprived areas of Cheshire and Merseyside live up to ten years less than those in the least deprived areas, with healthy life expectancy below the national average in several local authorities, including Halton, Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens.
“For far too long, inequalities have held people back from learning, growing, and thriving to their full potential,” said Professor Ashworth. “The data is clear and the impact is profound, where you live, still shapes how long and how well you live. That’s why we are working together across Cheshire and Merseyside to deliver real, practical action to tackle the health inequalities that exist.
“No single organisation can do this alone; it demands collective effort, shared ambition, and a commitment to change that our All Together Fairer programme provides.”
The lecture emphasised that system-wide collaboration is central to All Together Fairer. Since 2021, Cheshire and Merseyside have partnered with Professor Sir Michael Marmot and the Institute of Health Equity to develop evidence-based recommendations.
Professor Bromley highlighted the programme’s unique governance structure, including a distributed leadership model, a dedicated All Together Fairer Board, and leads working day-to-day to embed the Marmot Principles across public services.
“This lecture is about demonstrating the power of collaboration and the difference it can make when we work as one system,” she said. “By aligning our efforts, sharing insight, and listening to our communities, we can start make a real difference on the inequalities that have persisted for generations. Together, we can build a fairer, healthier future, one where everyone in our communities has the opportunity to live well, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.”
The All Together Fairer programme has already delivered tangible improvements in local communities, including pioneering initiatives including:
- Delivering the region’s shared smokefree mission through All Together Smokefree, with coordinated campaigns and support services helping to drive down smoking rates across the region.
- Improving children’s oral health through the new supervised toothbrushing initiative, All Together Smiling, supporting young children and families in areas with the highest rates of tooth decay.
- Delivering targeted warm homes support by identifying vulnerable households at risk of fuel poverty and connecting them to integrated NHS, council and voluntary-sector services.
- Strengthening the link between health and employment through the region’s integrated strategy, All Together in Health and Work, helping people with health-related barriers to access, sustain or return to work.
Looking ahead, the programme is aligning with new devolved powers and policy initiatives, working with leaders such as Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, and the emerging Cheshire and Warrington Mayoral Strategic Authority to embed health equity into local decision-making.
The lecture concluded with a clear call to action: tackling health inequalities is possible, but only if we work together. Professor Ashworth and Professor Bromley encouraged colleagues, organisations, and communities to join the movement for a fairer, healthier Cheshire and Merseyside.
The Haygarth Public Health Lecture continues to celebrate the legacy of Dr John Haygarth, whose pioneering work in disease control in the 18th century set the foundations for public health in Chester and beyond. This year’s lecture reaffirmed that tackling inequalities requires evidence, collaboration, and shared determination.
Dr Matt Bowen, Head of School for Allied and Public Health at Chester University, said: “We were delighted to welcome Professor Ian Ashworth and Professor Helen Bromley to the University to share their insights into the All Together Fairer Programme.”
“It was a very insightful evening into their work and what it means for us locally in Cheshire West and Chester.”
