Who we are
The Healthier UK movement was set up in 2025 by The College of Medicine and The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM) Leaders in these two organisations recognised from their extensive work that health is not created in the NHS, it is created at home1, with people in their local place.
We have created an ambitious aim which resonates with the priorities set out in the Neighbourhood Health Framework and is based on a whole-system vision for healthy communities from a local government and community perspective.
Healthier UK is developing an active network for creating health with a range of national organisations in England from the statutory, voluntary and charitable and private sector. Our aim is to influence national policy to ensure health is woven into all new policies for the future.
Our Core Proposition: Health is not created in hospitals or GP surgeries — it is created in our homes, workplaces, parks, schools, and communities. When we strengthen social connections, empower local places, and invest in prevention, health becomes an asset to be grown rather than a cost to be managed.
Why Health Creation?
For decades, health policy in the UK has focused almost exclusively on managing sickness and acute hospital demand. Despite ever-increasing budgets, public health outcomes have stagnated, health inequalities have widened, and preventable chronic illness continues to surge.
Healthier UK proposes a flexible rather than prescriptive model to create the conditions for thriving places. Our key principles are:
· Establish a clear shared purpose
· Define common outcomes while allowing local flexibility
· Start with the experience of people and communities
· Build on existing strengths and assets
· Share leadership across organisations and sectors
· Invest in relationships, trust and community capability
· Address wider social, economic, cultural and environmental factors
· Combine prevention with appropriate targeted and specialist support
· Use data to inform learning rather than create unnecessary reporting
· Test, adapt and improve approaches over time
· Share learning across places and sectors
· Align governance, funding, workforce and accountability arrangements
Our vision across the four nations
Healthier UK works across all devolved administrations — collaborating with Mayoral Combined authorities in England, Public Health Wales and Welsh Government, NHS Scotland, and community coalitions in Northern Ireland — to share evidence, demonstrate what works, and shift funding towards prevention.
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Discover how your organisation can contribute to building a healthier, more resilient UK.
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