Regional Health Strategy

Healthy Futures is the region's health strategy, which runs from 2005-2010.

What is the Regional Health Strategy?

Access to good quality health services is important to protect and improve the health of the region's population. However, some of the most important determinants of health such as education, employment, income and housing lie outside the direct influence of health and social care services.

A Regional Health Strategy is therefore less about what the National Health Service (NHS) is doing to promote health and treat illness in the region, and more about what can be achieved when the NHS works in partnership to address the key determinants of health and health inequalities.

How does it work?

EERA acknowledges the enormous effort that is already taking place at local level to promote, protect and improve health; in voluntary and community organisations, GP surgeries and community clinics, Primary Care Trusts, hospitals and local authority departments.

This is supported by partnership working in the form of local strategic partnerships, local delivery plans and, increasingly, by local area agreements.

The Regional Health Strategy will not seek to duplicate this work. Rather, it is intended to add value to local efforts by identifying actions which can be taken at regional level and providing a supportive framework for local work.

Who is it for?

The Strategy will enable policy makers, practitioners and partnerships alike to tackle the determinants of health and health inequalities to effect long-term change. Everyone who has an interest in health issues in the East of England should read it.

How will we know whether it has been successful?

The Eastern Region Public Health Observatory provides regular statistics on health inequalities which can be used as a benchmark to measure the Strategy's progress and identify areas for review and change.

Where can I get copies of the Strategy?

Due to the large file sizes of the documents we have made each chapter available as a separate download on the right-hand side of this page.

Alternatively, you can order hard copies, subject to availability, from EEPublicHealth@goeast.gsi.gov.uk.