Full review: Labour Party Conference events

We hosted two events at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this year, in partnership with The Good Growth Foundation.

Our Community Health Revolution panel on Sunday afternoon at Labour Party Conference, in partnership with The Good Growth Foundation, brought together academic, Parliamentary, voluntary sector and medical perspectives for a brilliant discussion on how we should best shift care from hospitals to community. Every panelist agreed: healthcare must not be siloed.

🔹Michelle Welsh MP, Chair of the Maternity and PCOS APPGs, said: "We have an opportunity as a government to rebalance our health system, from hospitals to community, and to make a cultural shift where we’re listening to people...we need big, bold policies from this Labour government about really tackling health inequalities and child poverty."

🔹Lisa Hollins, Executive Director of the British Red Cross, emphasised the social determinants of health: "poverty, insecure housing, the absence of agency and choice that people have...the main drivers of people slipping into crisis are social". Lisa said: "We should design services around the needs of individuals; wrap-around care that stops the fragmentation that hands people on from one service to another."

🔹Professor Sherria Hoskins, Provost at the University of Portsmouth, spoke about how early intervention in a community health hub takes the pressure off secondary care, creates better workforce stability and reduces local health inequalities. Sherria emphasised that forging partnering with ICBs, primary and secondary care trusts, third sector and business, is a real opportunity for shifting care to the community successfully.

🔹For our founder Professor Geeta Nargund, health and wealth are two sides of the same coin. She noted that nearly 70% of health outcomes are related to social and economic factors.

"I feel very strongly that this problem shouldn’t just sit at the door of our NHS; all departments should work closely together to address social determinants of health. The NHS 10 Year Plan shows evidence that small amounts of community expenditure can unlock a disproportionate amount of hospital capacity; reducing waiting times, reducing A&E admissions and addressing health inequalities."

Thank you to our brilliant panel, our Chair Louisa Dollimore, and the rest of the team at The Good Growth Foundation.

Building a Progressive Vision for Women’s Health (private roundtable)

On Tuesday morning at Labour Party Conference, we hosted a private roundtable on women's health in partnership with The Good Growth Foundation, inviting MPs, policymakers, charity and industry leaders, medical professionals and patient representatives to discuss the current state and future priorities of women's healthcare in the UK.

Chaired by Professor Geeta Nargund, we heard compelling moral arguments, powerful testimonies and economic evidence for urgent changes to be made to improve women's healthcare services.

A common thread was identified - that everyone hears from women who feel their pain is being dismissed, they are not being listened to and it is taking too long to be diagnosed.

🔹 "Those who go youngest often have to wait the longest for a diagnosis because they are not believed."

🔹 "The economic case provides quantitative evidence and political urgency: ammunition. We then need a fundamental shift in policymaking based on the moral argument."

Amongst many important topics, we discussed the importance of disaggregating data on men and women to combat misinformation, the huge opportunity of women's health hubs, digital and disabled inclusion, integrating mental health services in community care, and how to improve reproductive healthcare services to enable people to make the choices they want later in life.

🔹 "We need co-designed, culturally sensitive digital solutions. Inclusion is about reaching all women, regardless of background."

🔹 "Many women don't have time for a mammogram. Mums have to be able to access services."

We shared our research from 'Time for Change' , the largest survey on women's health in the UK, which we launched earlier this year, and the group discussed the urgent need for government, employers and educators to seize the moment and set about making lasting, positive changes to women's healthcare, from access to outcomes.

🔹 "Businesses have talked the talk in this space, but they need to walk the walk."

Following the NHS 10-Year Plan, the room agreed that the momentum is now firmly there to address barriers head-on and tackle health inequalities across the country. There was a shared motivation around the table to take action and help government and employers to improve women's healthcare services and policies.

🔹 "We can only demand better care from people who are listening."

Thank you very much to all who joined us in Liverpool:

Anneliese Dodds MP, Michelle Welsh MP, Helena Dollimore MP, Dr Marie Tidball MP, Sonia Muliyil, Prof Asma Khalil, Emma Cox, Anya Sizer, Emma Doyle, Lydia Hamilton-Rimmer, Kate Prince, Catriona Ogilvy, Kate Dyson and Anna McShane.

We will convene this group again in the near future to build on what was a powerful and productive discussion.