GM Health Commission

The Greater Manchester Health Commission is the formal partnership of all Greater Manchester Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) working together to secure improved health and tackle health inequalities in the city region.

The Greater Manchester Health Commission's vision is of a Greater Manchester with improved life expectancy, health, and well-being, and reduced inequalities. Greater Manchester has some of the worst life expectancy and health outcomes in the country. The Greater Manchester Health Commission aims to provide the leadership to tackle these challenges.

Key Issues Facing the Commission:

The topics identified for the Greater Manchester Health Commission for 2009/10 are those agreed by the Health Commission in the January 2009 meeting:

  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Obesity
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • Economic Development and Community Cohesion

These are the main health challenges facing Greater Manchester and in particular the following issues will be addressed by the work of the Health Commission:

  • Alcohol - focusing on licensing, community safety, lobbying of retailers, etc. The Health Commission will be linking into the Housing and Planning Commission and Public Protection Commission.
  • Tobacco - focusing on licensing, community safety, lobbying of retailers, etc. The Health Commission will be linking into the Housing and Planning Commission and Public Protection Commission.
  • Obesity - renewed focus and profile on healthy transport - walking, cycling, school run; Healthy Catering, particularly through public sector owned or funded services and planning limitations on fast food outlets. The Health Commission will be linking into the Housing and Planning Commission and Transport Commission.
  • Mental Health and Well Being - focusing on community cohesion, social capital, economic security and engagement in local decision making. The Commission will consider the most appropriate evidence base of indicators and interventions to promote well being. The Health Commission will link into Housing and Planning Commission, Public Protection Commission and Commission for the New Economy.
  • Economic Development and Community Cohesion - focusing on support for benefit claimants: establishing better understanding of this population and range of effective interventions that the local NHS and other delivery partners (e.g. Job Centre Plus) can implement to help people manage their conditions better and where appropriate, support them back into work. The Commission will also consider corporate citizenship; Health at Work and emerging evidence about social mobility being a key determinant of health inequalities. The Health Commission will link into the Housing and Planning Commission, Public Protection Commission and Commission for the New Economy.

The Commission will also receive regular updates on topics previously considered:

  • Worklessness
  • Fuel Poverty