Enfield Council to Improve Access to GPs and Pharmacies as Part of Fairer Enfield Policy

Enfield residents can expect improved access to GPs and pharmacies as part of the council's ongoing efforts to tackle health inequalities under the Fairer Enfield policy. The council is working with health partners to identify and address inequalities, focusing on preventative measures to support residents to age well and mitigate risks of increasing dependency, such as falls and preventable infections. Following feedback, officers have prioritised these measures in the draft policy.

The access to GPs and pharmacies initiative falls under the Fairer Enfield policy's objective to work with health partners to identify and address inequalities, focusing on prevention. The Equalities Board work programme for 2025/26 includes an update on work being done to tackle health inequalities and improve access to GPs and pharmacies.

According to the Draft Fairer Enfield Policy 2026-30, this objective aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the population while reducing health inequalities. The policy recognises that factors such as income, education, and housing significantly impact health outcomes. Residents living in the most deprived wards are likely to live seven years fewer than their wealthier neighbours and over 15 years fewer in good health. Further details on health inequalities across Enfield can be found in the Annual Equalities Report 2024/25.

The council plans to support residents to age well, by focusing on mitigating risks of increasing dependency, provoked by catastrophic events such as falls and preventable infections .

Progress towards achieving the council's equalities objectives will be assessed annually by the Executive Management Team, and published in an Equalities Report. This report examines progress on equalities targets, reviews the inequalities which persist across Enfield and demonstrates the council's commitment to overcoming these challenges.

The plan to provide an update on the work being done to tackle health inequalities and improve access to GPs and pharmacies is outlined in the Work Programme 2025/26.