The effect of Council decision making on the ability of Cambridgeshire communities to develop initiatives that lessen the need for formal health and social care services

The health of our population is one of our nation’s most important assets. Optimal health not only forms a central component of our happiness, but it is also vital for a strong economy. Despite this, reports suggest that population health is declining, with the average adult expected to spend 20% of their life in ill-health. Given the ever-increasing burden of non- communicable disease, such as cardiovascular disease and obesity-related conditions, alongside our growing and ageing population, the need for adequate strategies to prevent ill- health has never been greater. However, as our healthcare model is relatively centralised, the development, coordination and delivery of comprehensive prevention strategies is incredibly difficult. This is not only because a central system cannot make strategies that are flexible enough to cater for every demographic, but also because the average person spends very little time engaged directly with formal healthcare services. To circumvent these issues, focus has turned to the communities in which people live, work and play as an asset to prevent ill-health and promote wellbeing. By combining rapid literature reviews with surveys of Cambridgeshire-based community groups, this report aims to investigate the role that community-led initiatives play in improving the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve, and to further identify policies that can be updated or implemented in order to support communities in this pursuit.