Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

05 Healthy Futures: the strategy
Chapter summary
Taking into account the key determinants of health in the East of England, the policy context provided
by the Choosing Health White Paper and the strategic context provided by the Integrated Regional
Strategy, Healthy Futures has been developed. It focuses on issues which are especially important
to the East of England and which can be influenced at a regional scale.
The core of Healthy Futures is defined by a Vision that may be simply stated: ‘to improve the
health of the population and to reduce health inequalities in the East of England.’ In order
to achieve this Vision, three broad Themes are identified, each of which embraces a number of
distinct Strategic Priorities:
• Theme A: Health in Sustainable Communities
• Theme B: Health at Key Life Stages
• Theme C: Health in a Connected Region.
Actions have been identified relating to each Strategic Priority. The Actions are intended to support
and influence a range of much bigger regional and local strategic processes; working through
these other delivery processes, progress towards the Vision ought to be achieved.
The Strategy’s components
5.1 The analysis in Chapters 3 and 4 has painted a complex and dynamic picture of health and health
inequalities in the East of England. The underlying causes relate to a range of factors – from broad
regional conditions through social networks to the specific lifestyle choices that individuals make.
Cutting across these, it is clear that particular groups in the population are affected in different ways
and the needs of groups which are vulnerable should be recognised explicitly. A third important
dimension surrounds Key Life Stages, recognising that there are specific (but cumulative)
health-related opportunities and threats as people move from one life stage to the next.
5.2 Healthy Futures needs to make sense of this complexity in a manner that is specific and appropriate
to the East of England. In addition, it must recognise what can – and what cannot – be achieved
at the regional scale. Some issues are not in the Region’s gift to determine: the Region cannot, for
example, make regulatory or fiscal changes (although it may have some discretion in implementation).
These considerations have been instrumental in shaping Healthy Futures.
5.3 In short, we have taken on board the factors that are determining the health of people in our
Region; we have appraised these in the light both of regional priorities set out in the Integrated
Regional Strategy, and national priorities articulated in Choosing Health; and then we have
identified those priorities that we believe the Region, as a whole, can and must respond to.
Our Strategy has been built up in this manner.
A Regional Health Strategy for the East of England 59