The coastal health report: five year’s on
In July 2021 the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Chris Whitty published his pivotal report on health in coastal communities. In it he made clear that, ‘if we do not tackle the health problems of coastal communities vigorously and systematically there will be a long tail of preventable ill health which will get worse as current populations age.’
Five years on, have we made progress in ‘vigorously and systematically’ tackling coastal health problems on either a national or regional basis?
On 22 October 2026 the Eastern Arc Coda Network will mark the fifth anniversary of the report and explore what has been achieved in the interim, hearing from from those most affected by the issues the report addressed, and to map out practical ways in which we can build on this in the next five years.
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The purpose of the day is threefold:
- To take stock of the national and regional progress in meeting the recommendations of the report;
- To highlight significant initiatives that have shifted the dial in the past five years;
- Building on this, to identify practical next steps towards improving coastal health.
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The programme is still to be confirmed, but we hope that the day will be structured broadly as follows:
Pre-event task: As part of registration, delegates will be asked to identify barriers to progress in improving coastal health, and potential solutions to them.
The answers to these will be printed and displayed, anonymously, in the reception area for the event, to encourage focus, comment, discussion and debate. They will also feed into the sessions during the day, and in particular the panel session after lunch.
10:00 Arrival
10:15 Five years on: reflections of those involved in writing the report
Speakers TBC
Whilst the CMO had oversight of the report, it was built on the work of multiple authors, researchers and others. The first session of the day will hear from some of those involved reflecting on the report.
11:15 Coffee
11:45 Five years on: progress on the report’s recommendations
Speakers TBC
The report set out three broad recommendations. In this session we hear from four case studies that have made some progress in addressing them.
- Develop a national cross-government strategy on health and wellbeing of coastal communities
- Maintain focus on the current and proposed future medical education reforms which includes the geographical redistribution programme
- Improve data and research into coastal communities
12:45 Lunch
An opportunity to meet others with an interest in coastal health, and talk informally about your own work.
13:30 Five years on: the CMO’s report card
Prof Chris Whitty
Following the reflections and case studies of the morning, the Chief Medical Officer will provide his own thoughts on the outcomes of the report, and what progress still needs to be made.
14:30 ‘Our proud coastal communities’: creating a manifesto for change
Five years after the report and with a new Prime Minister who has explicitly highlighted ‘our proud coastal communities’, 2026 is a pivotal moment to reignite our collective efforts to eliminate the coastal health deficit. The final session of the day will give voice to community members and those with lived experience, to hear about what change would look like from their perspective, and practical steps to how we can achieve it.
15:30 Closing remarks and next steps
15:45 End
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A diverse range of sectors are actively encouraged to take part, including but not limited to:
- Community groups and those with lived experience
- Universities and medical schools
- National government
- Local authorities
- ICBs and NHS trusts
- Think tanks
- Voluntary organisations
- Businesses and the private sector
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The event is free and open to all. Because we are seeking a broad audience, we will aim to get a representative range of participants. Therefore places will not be allocated on a first come, first served basis, but rather by invitation once the deadline has closed. As such, you are registering your interest in attending and a ticket will not be automatically issued.The deadline is 08:00 on Tuesday 8 September 2026.
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More about the Coda Network can be found here. The site includes details of other centres and networks that also have a focus on issues of the coast.If you have specific questions about the day, contact us at info@easternarc.ac.uk