An innovative programme aimed at tackling differences in health and supporting people to live better has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
Living Well Warrington, which focuses on connecting people, communities and services to enable residents to live healthy, fulfilling lives and take greater control over their own health and wellbeing has been shortlisted in the Integrated Care Initiative of the Year category at the HSJ Awards.
The borough-wide programme has grown significantly with a number of successful projects introduced to support the town’s health needs thanks to partnership working between Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington Borough Council, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and a range of public sector organisations and local voluntary sector partners.
Investment into the programme has meant that people across Warrington can now access services in pioneering new ways, with the success speaking for itself.
It includes the Living Well Hub in Warrington town centre, which offers accessible healthcare services and support under one roof.
Designed to support residents in an easy to reach location, the hub is helping to prevent ill health, address inequalities and help regeneration of the town centre.
Since opening its doors in early 2024, the Living Well Hub has seen more than 27,500 visitors access advice, guidance and support from more than 25 different clinical and non-clinical services with pre-booked and drop-in appointments.
Nikhil Khashu, Chief Executive at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals and Bridgewater Community Healthcare, said:
“I am extremely proud to see Living Well Warrington shortlisted for a prestigious HSJ award. As providers of acute and community services we know how important it is to tackle health inequalities, improve patient outcomes and reduce the pressure on our hospital.
“By ensuring timely access to services, we are supporting our residents to feel empowered and in control of their own health and wellbeing. Thank you to everyone involved for making this such a success.”
The awards recognition highlights the exceptional work and dedication undertaken to help improve access to services, prevent ill health and address health inequalities in Warrington, where there is a 10-year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived members of the community.
The programmes objectives also lie at the heart of the Government’s new 10 Year Health Plan for England, which will see a shift to providing healthcare in new ways that are convenient and easily accessibly in our neighbourhoods.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “
The Living Well programme is making a real difference to local people and it is brilliant to see this recognised at a national level. By thinking differently about how and where we deliver services, we have enabled thousands of people to receive the support they need, when they need it and we look forward to continuing this.”
The latest programme development, Living Well Warrington, offers a digital platform to connect with services, community groups and events across the town.
Since its launch in March more than 6,000 people have registered for the site, enabling them to access support at their fingertips.
Living Well also includes Talking Points, which offer friendly, face-to-face support ranging from money advice to help with lifestyle change and social isolation.
The popular two-hour sessions are delivered 14 times a week at a range of community locations.
The success of the programme would also not have been possible without the support of local voluntary and charitable organisations, wellbeing services and residents.
Naz Ghodrati, Chief Executive at Warrington Voluntary Action, said:
“It is absolutely fantastic that this programme has been recognised for the life-changing work it is doing across Warrington. All of the Living Well projects have been developed collaboratively with wider voluntary sector partners, supporting organisations and people who use our services, which we couldn’t be more grateful for. The programme is proof that by working together we can achieve great things for our local residents and town.”
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 20 November at Evolution London.
The awards attracted more than 1,250 entries from across the health sector, with only 245 projects and individuals making it through to the final shortlist.
For more details on the 2025 HSJ Awards and for the full list of finals, visit https://awards.hsj.co.uk/