In July 2021 Prof 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 Whitty’s 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 Keynote: Has the dial been shifted?
Prof Chris Whitty
The report offered three bold recommendations: the development of a national strategy for coastal health, the deployment of health and social workers in coastal areas, and the improvement of coastal health data. Has progress been made in these areas? Has the dial been shifted since 2021?
11:15 Coffee
11:45 Where change has happened: six lightning talks
Various speakers
Following on from the CMO’s summary of progress, the pre-lunch session will hear lightning talks (<10 mins) from a diverse range of projects and research that demonstrate where change has happened. The sessions will cover a wide range of initiatives, from the national to the regional, from small-scale community projects to population-level interventions.
13:15 Lunch
An opportunity to meet others with an interest in coastal health, and talk informally about your own work.
14:15 Panel discussion: creating a manifesto for change
Five years after the report and with a change of national leadership, 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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Because of this, 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 1 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