- Health to be at the heart of decision-making across the city region.
- The Combined Authority will embed the Marmot principles across its devolved responsibilities
- Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Where you grow up, the job you do or how much money you have in your pocket shouldn’t determine how long or how well you live.”
Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool City Region leaders have today confirmed Liverpool City Region as a Marmot City Region, reinforcing a long-term commitment to improving health and reducing inequalities through prevention.
The milestone was celebrated as Mayor Steve Rotheram, local authority leaders and Professor Sir Michael Marmot came together to reaffirm their shared ambition to put health at the heart of decision-making across the city region.
Mayor Steve Rotheram with Directors of Public Health for the Liverpool City Region.
As a Marmot City Region, the Combined Authority will embed the Marmot principles across its devolved responsibilities, demonstrating leadership in putting health at the heart of decisions on transport, housing, skills, regeneration and economic development.
The commitment builds on the strong foundations already established across Cheshire and Merseyside through All Together Fairer – the shared programme led by the region’s Directors of Public Health and the NHS Director of Population Health – to tackle health inequalities by putting the Marmot principles into practice.
In 2021, the Directors of Public Health and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside commissioned an independent review by Professor Sir Michael Marmot and the Institute of Health Equity, which set out recommendations to reduce health inequalities across the subregion. Partners subsequently established All Together Fairer to turn those recommendations into action.
Liverpool City Region becoming a Marmot City Region builds on that work, creating greater alignment across Cheshire and Merseyside while positioning the city region within a nationally recognised, evidence-based approach to improving health through prevention and action on the wider determinants of health.
Marmot Places are named after Professor Sir Michael Marmot, one of the world’s leading experts on health inequalities. Liverpool became a Marmot City in 2025, while the wider Cheshire and Merseyside subregion has been recognised as a Marmot area since 2019.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“Where you grow up, the job you do or how much money you have in your pocket shouldn’t determine how long or how well you live. But for too many people, that’s still the reality.
“That’s why becoming a Marmot City Region matters. Good health is shaped by whether you can afford a warm, safe home, whether you can get to work easily, whether you’ve got access to good education, and the chance to build a decent future. Those are exactly the kinds of things we can influence through devolution.
“We’ve never accepted that inequality is inevitable, and devolution has given us more of the tools to do something about it. By putting health at the heart of the decisions we make, we can tackle the root causes of poor health, narrow the gap in life chances and build a fairer, healthier Liverpool City Region for everyone.”
Professor Matt Ashton, Co-Chair of the All Together Fairer Board and Director of Public Health for Liverpool said:
“All Together Fairer has shown what can be achieved when councils, the NHS and partners come together behind a shared ambition to improve health and reduce inequalities. Liverpool City Region’s commitment builds on that work and demonstrates the whole-system leadership needed to create lasting change.
“By strengthening alignment across Cheshire and Merseyside, we can build on our collective strengths, share learning and deliver even greater impact for the communities we serve.”
Professor Sir Michael Marmot added:
“Health inequalities are not inevitable. They can be reduced through sustained action, strong leadership and a shared commitment to improving the conditions in which people live their lives.
“Today’s milestone demonstrates Liverpool City Region’s long-term commitment to turning that evidence into action. By acting on the social determinants of health, partners can help create healthier, fairer communities for generations to come.”
Cheshire and Merseyside’s mission to reduce inequalities and improve health and wellbeing is brought to life through the All Together Fairer Programme. Informed by the Institute of Health Equity, this collaborative initiative brings together public, private and third sector organisations with one shared aim: build a fairer, healthier Cheshire and Merseyside. Further information about the programme is available here: All Together Fairer.
