Sheffield held its first Inclusion Health Summit in January attended by nearly 50 people, spanning a range of strategic and operational services, with expertise, knowledge and lived experience.

Bola Owolabi, Director of Health Inequalities at NHS England, who is also a GP, was the guest speaker and passionately set the scene on why Inclusion Health matters and its importance across health and care.

Bola’s mantra is to turn Policy into Practice; Analysis into Action and Rhetoric into Reality. She reinforced the message that all Integrated Care Systems have a national imperative to address health inequalities to help those on the extreme margins of our society to access the care and support they need, when they need it.

Bola referred to the national approach to addressing inequalities which is CORE20plus5. In Sheffield the Inclusion Health groups include people who have experienced homelessness and rough sleepers; people with drug and alcohol dependence; vulnerable migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities; people in contact with the justice system; victims of modern slavery; sex workers; and other marginalised groups eg veterans, those suffering domestic abuse.

Bola also referred to the NHS England Inclusion Health Framework (published in October 2023) which has five significant principles for action. This first summit focused on the first 2 which are:
 

  1. Commit to action on inclusion health.

  2. Understand the characteristics and needs of people in inclusion health groups.


The summit was facilitated by Holly Dannhauser who helped the delegates explore and discuss how to develop a shared Inclusion Health Plan for Sheffield to support the most marginalised people in the city, seeking to join up good work, articulate shared ambitions, develop partnership working and to identify priorities and creative solutions.

A further two summits are being planned in Sheffield in February and March, at the end of which a long term action plan will be agreed for the city.