THE ground-breaking Living Well Warrington programme has received national recognition at this year’s prestigious Health Service Journal Awards.
Following two rigorous rounds of judging by a panel of more than 200 respected healthcare leaders, the borough-wide programme was named highly commended in the ‘Integrated Care Initiative of the Year’ category.
Living Well Warrington, delivered through partnership working between Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington Borough Council, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and a range of public sector organisations and local voluntary sector partners, has revolutionised access to health and wellbeing support for local residents.
The population of the borough of Warrington is around 210,000, with the number of people aged 65 and above set to increase by 50% over the next 20 years. Like many towns and cities across the UK, Warrington has experienced unprecedented levels of demand for health and care services, with one of the fastest growing, ageing populations.
The commendation recognised the new and innovative approaches to delivering health and care services in the community as a way to prevent ill health, tackle health inequalities and meet the needs of the population in different ways.
Nikhil Khashu, chief executive at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals and Bridgewater Community Healthcare, said: “Receiving a highly commended award at the 2025 HSJ Awards is an incredible honour. The Living Well programme has already made a positive impact on so many people’s lives, and it is fantastic to see our partnership working and dedication to improving health outcomes acknowledged. Thank you to everyone involved in the programme for making it such a success.”
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and social care at Warrington Borough Council, said: “I am incredibly proud of the impact that the Living Well Warrington programme has made, and it is a huge achievement to see this recognised at the HSJ Awards. It is a fantastic example of how neighbourhood health and new technology can transform the way services are accessed and support our population to stay well. It’s great to see that the work of partners across the borough is getting national recognition.”
The Living Well programme has helped to simplify the way advice, guidance and support is accessed, helping to empower people to take greater control over their own health and wellbeing. More than 40,000 people have visited the town centre Living Well Hub, which offers dedicated support from around 70 different services, ranging from dementia support and domestic abuse advice to baby weighing clinics and weight management assistance.
Since its launch in March, the digital Living Well Warrington platform has received more than 100,000 views, and the supportive network of Talking Points across Warrington have collectively helped over 900 people with advice and support over the last 12 months.
The full list of winners and those highly commended for the 2025 HSJ Awards can be found at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/winners-2025
