We are one of three Scottish local authorities that are collaborating with experts on ways to reduce health inequalities and increase healthy life expectancy for residents across North Ayrshire.
The wide-ranging partnership – called the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) – is examining ways to strengthen and accelerate actions that will reduce health inequities for people living in North Ayrshire, Aberdeen City and South Lanarkshire.
Health boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships in each of the three areas will also work alongside Public Health Scotland (PHS) and University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE), on the two-year-long project.
The partnership approach sees the three councils working with independent experts to receive practical guidance and support to introduce positive change to improve life for people at local level.
Sadly, people in Scotland die younger than any other country in Western Europe and those living in our poorest areas die more than a decade earlier than those living in our wealthiest neighbourhoods.
Both life expectancy and health inequalities are getting worse.
Progress being made so far…
North Ayrshire is focusing on three Marmot Principles first and we will also focus on the following local areas:
• Giving every child the best start in life – Irvine – Fullarton / Castlepark / Bourtreehill
• Creating fair employment and good work for all – Three Towns – Ardrossan Central / Saltcoats Central / Stevenston Hayocks
• Strengthen the role and impact of ill-health prevention – Garnock Valley.
What is happening in North Ayrshire?
North Ayrshire launched CHES in February 2025.
Since then:
• Local data has been mapped to understand health, work and living conditions,
• Leaders have been chosen for each of the Marmot principles,
• Work has started in the three key areas, and
• Conversations have started with staff and community leaders about how to get people involved.
How are communities involved?
CHES believes change should happen with communities, not to them. That’s why we are working with:
• Local residents,
• Community groups,
• Local anchor organisations,
• Volunteers and
• Unpaid carers.
What is everyone being asked to do?
Think about how you can become involved in the programme if you live or work in one of the areas where CHES will try to make improvements.
Share information about CHES with people who might be interested in getting involved.
Share your views or experiences by joining local events or discussions.
Ask to be kept up to date and feel free to contact the CHES team at the shared mailbox: CHES@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
For further information on CHES please visit the Public Health Scotland website.
What does CHES stand for?
CHES means ‘Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland’. It is a group of public organisations, community groups, communities and employers working together to make health better for everyone.
Who is involved in CHES?
• In North Ayrshire, CHES is jointly led by North Ayrshire Council / Health & Social Care Partnership, Public Health Scotland, and the Institute for Health Equity (University College London). We are working closely with partners from across the Community Planning Partnership and Integration Joint Board, including amongst others:
• NHS Ayrshire & Arran
• The Ayrshire Community Trust
• Arran Community & Voluntary Service
• Ayrshire Chambers of Commerce
• KA Leisure
• Police Scotland
• Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
These organisations are working together and with local communities to improve health for everyone.
Why is CHES important?
In some parts of Scotland, people live shorter lives and have more health problems than others. This poor health is often the result of poor life, work and living conditions. CHES wants to change that by helping communities live healthier, and happier lives.
In North Ayrshire female and male healthy life expectancy is only 52 years old, which is as much as 16 years poorer than other places in Scotland.
Each of the three Scottish CHES partners will address the Marmot Eight principles, with recommendations for action covering:
1. Give every child the best start in life.
2. Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives.
3. Create fair employment and good work for all.
4. Ensure a healthy standard of living for all.
5. Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities.
6. Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention.
7. Tackle racism, discrimination and their outcomes.
8. Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together.
Here in North Ayrshire, male and female life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy, are all lower than the national average. Early findings also show that there are significant differences in people’s expected health outcomes depending on where they live.
Evidence shows there are links between the area’s health, social and economic inequities, and that there are also significant differences between the six Localities.
However, there is great belief and positivity that this can be improved through stronger partnership working, for which we have strong foundations to build on in North Ayrshire We are aiming – with support from partner organisations – to do this by improving conditions that contribute to good health. These conditions are known as the social determinants of health, which can be grouped into the eight Marmot principles.
The Marmot Principles are ideas that help guide CHES’s work. They show us areas where we can make things better to improve health. There are eight Marmot Principles:
1 Give every child the best start in life
2 Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives
3 Create fair employment and good work for all
4 Ensure a healthy standard of living for all
5 Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities
6 Strengthen the role and impact of ill-health prevention
7 Tackle discrimination, racism and their outcomes and
8 Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together.
The CHES collaboration offers guidance that is aligned with the Council’s “wellbeing” priority, which focuses on increasing economic activity in a way that directly improves the quality of life for local people and protects our environment.
Since the local programme launched in February, we have:
· Set up a cross-partner steering group to drive the work forward
· Agreed an approach to using evidence and data to steer our work and priorities and ensuring co-production and engagement with our communities
· Mapped deprivation, health outcome and social determinants of health data in across North Ayrshire communities and
· Created a framework for our programme that puts community engagement at the centre of the work.
Sam Anson, Executive Director for Education, said: “Each of the three Scottish CHES partners will address the Marmot Eight principles.
“In North Ayrshire we have chosen to pay particular attention to three principles: give every child the best start in life, concentrating on the Fullarton, Castlepark and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine; fair employment and good work in the Saltcoats Central, Ardrossan Central and Stevenston Hayocks neighbourhoods; and to strengthen the role of ill health prevention across the Garnock Valley.”