Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board reaffirms commitment to improving outcomes for women and carers

Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board reaffirms commitment to improving outcomes for women and carers

On 18 March 2026, Liverpool’s Health and Wellbeing Board reaffirmed its dedication to addressing health disparities that impact women and enhancing support for unpaid carers. This recommitment followed significant discussions concerning the forthcoming Women’s Health report and the new All-Age Carers Strategy.

The Board reviewed troubling statistics revealing that women in Liverpool spend nearly 30% of their lives in poor health, with life expectancy now on a downward trend. Many women report feeling unheard within healthcare settings while confronting a range of challenges such as deprivation, domestic and sexual violence, mental health difficulties, stigma, and obstacles to accessing quality information and care. Additional factors like poverty, unpaid caregiving duties, and the gender pay gap continue to deepen inequalities affecting women and children in the city.

The Women’s Health report received unanimous endorsement from the Board, which commended the strong collaborative efforts across local systems. The report underscores the importance of truly listening to women’s experiences when shaping future policies and initiatives. It calls for actively combating discrimination based on sex or gender and insists that all strategies and services integrate women’s needs effectively. This includes improving data collection and analysis by sex and ethnicity to better identify disparities, as well as ensuring women are adequately represented in research efforts. Members also expressed support for the Liverpool Women’s Health Conference scheduled for May 2026, which aims to foster shared understanding and collective action on women’s health issues.

Additionally, the Board backed the recommendations put forth in the All-Age Carers Strategy, developed in partnership with carers and relevant organisations. This strategy focuses on better recognising carers, expanding access to various forms of support, and involving carers of all ages—including young carers—in decision-making processes that affect them. The Board also received an update from the Liverpool Safeguarding Adults Board, reaffirming the city’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable adults. Emphasizing the critical role of cross-sector collaboration, the Health and Wellbeing Board highlighted the need to build on existing good practices to create meaningful, lasting improvements.

Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council, commented: “Women’s health inequalities in Liverpool are deep-rooted, longstanding and unacceptable. This ongoing work shows our determination to listen to women, understand their experiences, and make real, systemwide changes that will improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life. Today’s endorsement demonstrates a united commitment across the city to drive this forward.”

Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More