Patricia Hewitt’s recent government-commissioned review of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) is a response to the unprecedented challenges facing our health and social care system.

Senior Treasury Minister and Member of Parliament for Louth and Horncastle, Victoria Atkins MP has joined Purpose Coalition leaders Tony Simpson of Sodexo, Lynda McVay of Leonardo and Sandhya Sabapathy of The Adecco Group for a panel discussion with Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition

The Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression at the Department for Work and Pensions, Mims Davies MP, has today joined leading Purpose Coalition Members including Sodexo, the University of Southampton, Rolls Royce and Leonardo for a roundtable to share best private-sector practice with government, and discuss youth hubs, improving opportunities for those with key skills, prison leavers and more.

This week's guest blog by Andrew Attfield, Associate Director for Public Health at Barts Health NHS Trust.

In a year of sobering economic news, last week saw a particularly bleak statistic. A new study revealed that life expectancy rates in the United Kingdom over the last seven decades are worse than any other country in the G7, apart from those in the United States. France, Japan, Germany and Italy all now have better life expectancy rates.

Like most other health indicators, the issue of obesity impacts disadvantaged communities the most. Poor life expectancy, a higher incidence of serious diseases, poor neonatal health and maternal outcomes are just some of the other ways in which health inequality impedes access to opportunity for those who live there.

With perfect timing, coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week, the Government has announced the creation of four new government departments, recalibrating its commitment to a programme of growth and technological advance, driven by innovation and research.

In partnership with former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton and former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, KMPT will produce an Impact Report to measure its social impact using the architecture of the Purpose Goals.

Getting a stronger plan in place is crucial for the Prime Minister and it has to be about working with and through local communities.

Purpose Coalition businesses, universities and the wider public sector have reacted to the cost of living challenges looking at how they can support their communities, their customers and colleagues internally.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) has become one of the first NHS organisations to launch an Impact Report outlining its impact in delivering social value across an innovative set of purpose-led measures.

NHS organisations playing a leading role in spreading opportunity across the UK have been celebrated at a new set of awards. The Purpose Health Coalition Awards recognise those NHS organisations and their staff that are committed to boosting opportunity and being truly purpose-led.

‘W’ for waiting lists will loom large in Therese Coffey’s to-do list as the new Health Secretary gets her feet under her Whitehall desk.

Rt Hon Justine Greening and Lord Walney have today launched the Cost of Living Taskforce, made up of businesses and public sector organisations committed to helping their customers, colleagues and communities through this difficult time.

Yet some of the biggest steps forward in the past 20 years in driving social mobility have come from universities working hard to open up higher education to more people and communities, often those the first in their family to go to university, as I was, and it must continue.

The health gap is big and getting bigger. Further stark evidence – if it were needed – was published this week on the extent of health inequalities across England.

Purpose-led businesses identify those amongst their employees, customers and communities who need the most support, whatever their background, wherever they live. They are leading the way in ensuring that resources are properly targeted so that they are most effective.

The incidence of poor mental health amongst children and young people is increasing to critical levels and it is becoming ever clearer that you can’t separate the individual experience from the huge social and economic repercussions that will follow.

There was a warm welcome for this week’s historic devolution deal that will see a transfer of new powers to a directly elected mayor serving York and North Yorkshire, with £540 million of government investment over the next 30 years.

As the Conservative leadership race enters its most important phase, there is increasing speculation over how committed the next prime minister will be to levelling up the United Kingdom.