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Health collaboration has made progress in first year
Vital community projects are being progressed as part of the collaboration that North Ayrshire Council joined to reduce health inequalities and increase healthy life expectancy for residents.
The Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) – led by Public Health Scotland and Professor Sir Michael Marmot’s Institute for Health Equity - was launched in February 2025 to strengthen and accelerate actions that will reduce health inequities for people living in North Ayrshire, Aberdeen City and South Lanarkshire.
Three key workstreams are underway locally to make life better for people by focusing on employment, ill-health prevention, early years, education and community-based support. CHES work locally has been led by North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board, which is the governing body of North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, and the Community Planning Partnership Board, which brings together public organisations including the Council, Third Sector groups and the NHS.
Over the past year, a CHES Steering Group has been examining ways to use data and community engagement to better understand where difference can be made at a local level when it comes to addressing deprivation and improving health outcomes for residents.
This has been done at locality level and neighbourhood level, with the aim of identifying communities where real change can be implemented to improve life for people.
The result is that workstreams are progressing work in three North Ayrshire communities, with specific targets in mind.
The projects focus on three key principles:
- Good Start – i.e to give every child the best start in life, concentrating on the Fullarton, Castlepark and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine. This workstream involves families, schools, nurseries and local groups to help deliver more joined-up support that helps children and their families thrive
- Good Jobs – with a focus on fair employment and good work in the Saltcoats Central, Ardrossan Central and Stevenston Hayocks neighbourhoods. This workstream centres on fair work, decent pay and skills development as well as creating new routes into secure jobs and training, and
- Good Health - to strengthen the role of ill health prevention within the Garnock Valley. This workstream is looking at increasing affordable healthy food provision, improving local wellbeing services and designing community-led solutions.
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.
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.
Quote: Too many people in North Ayrshire are spending far too much of their lives in poor health. We are determined to change that, and stronger partnership working through CHES gives us real hope that we can improve outcomes. Across our communities, many people are struggling to be able to afford essentials such as a warm home and nutritious food. These pressures take a serious toll on people’s health and on the wellbeing of their families. By working collaboratively through CHES, we can make a meaningful difference and prevent avoidable ill‑health, enabling more of our residents to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Crucially, our approach is being shaped by local people themselves — residents, families, community organisations, schools and employers. Real change only happens when we give people a voice and listen to what matters to them.
Quote from: Councillor Margaret Johnson, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People
Each of the three Scottish CHES partners is committed to delivering the Marmot principles, which guide efforts to create fairer, healthier communities.
Our Council Plan sets out how we work with partners toward our shared aim of A North Ayrshire that is fair for all. As we move toward becoming a wellbeing economy, we are prioritising prosperity, resilience and wellbeing across every community.
Wellbeing is at the heart of local life and is integral to A North Ayrshire that is fair for all. That is why the Council is fully supporting CHES — so that everyone has the opportunity to live longer, happier and healthier lives.
The Marmot principles are : Give every child the best start in life; Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives; Create fair employment and good work for all; Ensure a healthy standard of living for all; Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities; Strengthen the role and impact of ill-health prevention; Tackle discrimination, racism and their outcomes and Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together.
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. For further information on CHES please visit the Public Health Scotland website.
Published: 02 June 2026