Health Inequality Insights in Medway Exploring the Marmot Principles
Report - 31 March 2026
Why this report was created
Medway is working towards becoming a Marmot Place — a long‑term commitment to creating a fairer, healthier future for everyone.
To understand where inequalities exist and how they affect people’s daily lives, Medway Council invited organisations across the system to share any engagement, insight or research they had gathered over the last five years.
The aim was to build a baseline picture of how residents are experiencing inequality, using real voices and lived experiences. This report brings together 90 submissions, from large system partners to small community groups, providing a collective intelligence on what shapes health and wellbeing in Medway today.
The insights will guide the next phase of the Medway Marmot Place Partnership — identifying priorities, filling gaps in understanding, and shaping future engagement so every community is heard.
What the report covers
The report analyses 450 individual insights, mapping them across the eight Marmot principles. Each chapter explores:
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The issues residents are experiencing
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Who is most affected
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The factors behind these experiences (psychological, environmental, social, financial, health‑related)
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Where further insight is needed
A wide mix of engagement approaches contributed to the evidence base — including surveys, community conversations, focus groups, case studies, high street engagement and more.
The report also highlights key limitations, such as inconsistent demographic data and variation in how insight was gathered, which restricts the ability to quantify or compare experiences across groups. Despite this, the collective themes offer a powerful starting point for targeted action.
Key themes and findings
1. Give every child the best start in life
Parents reported difficulties accessing early years support, peer networks and accessible groups. Single parents, young parents and families of neurodiverse children described additional barriers. Lack of NHS dental access for children appeared frequently.
2. Enable children, young people and adults to maximise capabilities and have control over their lives
Young people consistently felt unheard in decisions about their care. Access to mental health support, clear information, inclusive education and opportunities for confidence‑building were recurring needs.
3. Create fair employment and good work for all
Residents described long working hours, limited flexibility and a shortage of good local opportunities. Barriers were more significant for people with disabilities, migrants with limited English, and those without stable housing.
4. Ensure a healthy standard of living for all
The cost of living was one of the strongest themes — affecting food choices, ability to participate in community life, access to dentistry, and mental wellbeing. Digital exclusion, challenges navigating welfare systems and rising housing costs all contributed to financial strain.
5. Create healthy and sustainable places and communities
People spoke about safety, crime, antisocial behaviour, unreliable public transport, and the condition of their local environment. Access to green space was valued but often restricted by safety concerns or poor transport links.
6. Strengthen the role and impact of ill‑health prevention
Residents described inconsistent access to preventive services, gaps in mental health support, limited awareness of health checks, and the need for clearer information. Language barriers, low confidence, and lack of equipment or knowledge stopped many people from managing their health proactively.
7. Tackle racism, discrimination and their outcomes
Discrimination was reported across healthcare, education, workplaces and communities. This included racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and stigma related to addiction, homelessness and occupation. Interpreting support and cultural awareness were major barriers.
8. Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together
Residents highlighted concerns about air quality, traffic, loss of green space due to development, poor-quality urban environments, and threats to local wildlife. These issues were felt more in areas of higher deprivation.
Next steps
The report identifies clear opportunities for the Medway Marmot Place Partnership:
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Expand engagement to fill the gaps — especially for maternity, disability, young carers and environmental sustainability.
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Shift from service‑specific insight to broader understanding of life‑course factors.
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Improve demographic data collection to deepen understanding of who is most affected.
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Use the emerging insight framework to guide future work across the system.
Visit the Medway Council website to find out more about Medway's journey to becoming a Marmot place, and to learn more about what being a Marmot Place means.
To reach out to us about this report, or with any questions about how we can help you, email us at hello@ek360.co.uk.