London boroughs have revealed plans to transform the capital into the world’s healthiest major global city through joint working and devolution.
A partnership of London Councils, mayor Boris Johnson and health bodies including Public Health England have together pledged to unite and ensure funding is best spent to improve local health and wellbeing.
London was recently ranked seventh out of 14 comparable world cities for wellbeing and life-expectancy. Organisations have now committed to a string of goals to ensure the capital moves up the rankings, including providing top level health and care services and putting the city at the centre of digital support.
Representative body London Councils also confirmed that it was investigating how greater autonomy for the city could boost local health.
Cllr Teresa O’Neill, London Councils’ executive member for health, said: ‘The critical role of local government in shaping health and care services is recognised in both the London Health Commission’s report and the NHS Five Year Forward View.
‘Boroughs are keen to strengthen that role further, and work with all our partners to achieve the aspirations set out in the Next Steps Plan, which builds on both previous pieces of work.
‘Alongside this, we are considering how devolution of powers and funding might help us make even greater progress towards London becoming the world’s healthiest city.’
Johnson said: ‘We are embarking on a very exciting journey for health in London. With a growing and ageing population and continued pressure on resources, it is vital that all of us concerned with the health of Londoners work together if we are to ensure the capital becomes the healthiest, fittest big city in the world.’
Anne Rainsberry, regional director of NHS England, added: ‘Working together, we have made huge progress to raise the quality and safety of care, reduce waiting times and improve access to services but there is a lot of work yet to be done. London is already home to numerous centres of excellence in treatment, research and training and I strongly believe we can build on this even further.’
