Public health vision and policies

1. Vision

Public Health Vision 2016 to 2020

Houda Al-Sharifi, Interim Director of Public Health Bi-borough, along with Westminster City Council has a vision that all people in Westminster are able to be well, stay well and live well, supported by a collaborative and cohesive health and care system.

Ambitions to deliver the vision

We will work with our colleagues within the council, the NHS and others to improve and protect health and wellbeing and reduce the health inequalities within Westminster. 

Our focus will be the following:

1. Reduce childhood obesity and increase the number of children that leave school with a healthy weight.
2. Promote the importance of the wider determinants of health and wellbeing especially work or another clear sense of purpose within a community, and overcoming mental and physical health barriers to employment.
3. Design and deliver services that have the biggest impact on prevention, early intervention and early help where it is needed particularly focusing on dementia and reducing the stigma and fear associated with dementia and creating dementia-friendly communities which support and include people with the condition and their carers.
4. Work with others to ensure that housing supports a healthy and independent lifestyle, supports the most vulnerable into safe housing and reduces homelessness, as a safe and secure home is a fundamental determinant of good health. 
5. Improve mental wellbeing by promoting self-care and sign posting to preventative and joined up services.
6. Provide public health services to the highest possible standards in terms of outcomes and reducing health inequalities.

We will work with others to deliver these ambitions through the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. 

2. Annual report and policies

2017 to 2018 - Our Health, Our Wellbeing: young people growing up in Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster

For many young people, growing up in the city offers a rich and diverse experience with access to a wide range of opportunities. However, many young people will face challenges to their health and wellbeing.

This year’s annual report focuses on a number of these challenges, and describes some of the lived experiences of 14-25 year olds growing up in Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.  

Read the 2017 to 2018 report

2016 to 2017 - The Roads to Wellbeing

Poor mental wellbeing could affect any of us at any point in our lives. We should all be looking after our mental wellbeing.

That's the key message from our Director of Public Health in this year’s annual report, ‘The Roads to Wellbeing’. 

With the wider impacts of mental health resulting in around £26bn each year in social and economic costs to London, mental wellbeing is everyone's business.

Read the 2016 to 2017 report

2015 to 2016 - Sitting is the new smoking

We have compiled a snapshot of the health of the people who live in Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea.

If you want to know what we are doing to make sure more people are more physically active, see the Tri-Borough Public Health report for 2015 to 2016.

Read the 2015 to 2016 report