The 2019/20 Director of Public Health annual report recognised that to be successful organisations and communities had to come together and local voices had to be heard. Oxfordshire’s progress in reducing health inequalities is rooted in the strength of its partnerships.
This is reflected in how partners have jointly responded to local needs, adapted to challenges and coordinated their efforts to reach those residents at highest risk of experiencing health inequalities. By connecting expertise, local knowledge and practical delivery, together we have been able to design more responsive, local (or place‑based) programmes that might not have been possible through individual organisational efforts.
Partnerships are not one‑off collaborations
Partnerships are not one‑off collaborations. Long term and locally strong partnerships combined with funding supports communities means shared resources and focused action where it will have the greatest impact.
Insight fills a gap in our understanding
The insight from profiles has filled the gap in our understanding of communities. Each profile combines hard data with the voices of local people. It all creates a fuller picture of needs and priorities.
Easy access to funding has a big impact
The Well Together funding model provides access to communities that would normally find it hard to get funding. That means smaller charities and voluntary organisations are able to make a real difference in their local communities.
The value of academic evaluation
Working in partnership with The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, as a network we have a better understanding of the value of community insight profiles and how they have directly impacted communities across the county.
Being there for local families
How communities come together to support families to give their child the best possible start in life is demonstrated across Oxfordshire. Not least at Flo's in the Park, Oxford who work alongside health partners to support with the issues that underpin the social determinants of health - such as housing.
Oxfordshire libraries
Libraries are at the heart of local communities across the county, and the impact that reading and libraries have on wellbeing and life chances is well-documented. Beyond books and reading, libraries provide a raft of support, activities, and resources that help contribute towards positive health outcomes.
In 2025, the libraries team won a national award for its work on Making Every Contact Count (MECC).
Oxfordshire as a Marmot Place
Organisations across Oxfordshire have joined forces with University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE) on a two year Marmot Place project, which will tackle health inequalities in local communities. They will evaluate and build on existing work, measure and tackle rural inequality and utilise research to find innovative solutions to tackling health inequalities.
The Prevention and Health Inequalities Forum (PHIF)
A key enabler for addressing inequalities in Oxfordshire has been the forming of this multi-agency partnership. It is dedicated to reducing avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes and provides strategic leadership and coordination for initiatives that address both behavioural risk factors and wider determinants of health.
Investment in equity and prevention
The Institute of Health Equity emphasise that investment in equity and prevention is essential. With health inequalities widening, Jessica highlights the need to keep prevention at the forefront so communities, especially those most affected, get the sustained support they need.
A whole system approach to physical activity
A key achievement in Oxfordshire’s journey to reduce health inequalities has been the development of a whole system approach to physical activity, recognised both locally and nationally for its impact.
This approach brought together the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), Oxfordshire County Council Public Health, district and city councils, Active Oxfordshire, healthcare professionals, and the voluntary and community sector. By working together, these partners jointly commissioned and delivered programmes that now reach over 12,000 residents at highest risk of physical inactivity and health inequality.
Record investment
For the first time, joint funding of £1.3 million was secured from the ICB, public health, and local councils, enabling a shared county-wide agenda and a focus on prevention.
Targeted programmes
Initiatives such as YouMove (for families on lower incomes) and Move Together (for residents with long-term health conditions) have supported thousands of residents to become more active, with clear improvements in health and wellbeing.
Wider impact
The partnership has developed new activity pathways for early years and maternity, and invested in community-led projects to increase walking, wheeling, and cycling, particularly in areas of greatest need.
Demonstrable results
Move Together has reduced GP appointments by 36% and NHS 111 calls by 28%, YouMove has seen 50% of children increase their activity by an average of 133 minutes per week. There has also been a 33% reduction in the number of participants classed as inactive.
Capacity building
Over 400 healthcare professionals and frontline workers have been trained to support residents to be more active through the Moving Medicine training, strengthening the system’s ability to deliver quality care and signpost to wider health and wellbeing services.