Islington's HealthWise programme has exceeded its targets, with nearly 1,000 referrals and a high completion rate, the Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee heard on Monday 13 April 2026.
The 12-week initiative, designed for adults with health concerns, has seen significant success in helping participants achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Of those who completed the programme, 93% achieved at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise weekly, and 59% reached the recommended 150 minutes per week.
The programme, delivered by GLL, accepts referrals from GP practices and social prescribing link workers. The top reasons for referral are obesity, anxiety/depression, and high blood pressure. For those referred due to obesity, 63% reported weight loss. For anxiety and depression, 85% reported improved wellbeing, and for high blood pressure, 29% saw a significant reduction in their risk of heart attack.
The council is working to promote physical activity through presentations to GP practices, pharmacists, and community groups, aiming to increase awareness of the programme's benefits and encourage wider participation.
The HealthWise programme is part of Islington's broader commitment to promoting physical activity as outlined in the Active Together Strategy, which focuses on supporting less active residents and leveraging physical activity for mental health and long-term condition management.
Programme Details and Funding
The HealthWise programme offers participants a 12-week free period. After this, participants can receive a supplemented membership to continue with GLL's leisure offer. The programme is funded through initial seed funding to GLL, which is on a diminishing scale, with the aim of becoming self-sustaining through participants becoming members after the initial 12 weeks. The document does not specify costs to the NHS.
Participant Demographics and Referral Reasons
Of the 996 referrals received, 65% were from the lowest three deprivation areas. While specific age or gender breakdowns are not provided, the programme is described as being for adults with health concerns. The primary referral reasons, as detailed above, include obesity, anxiety/depression, and high blood pressure, with significant positive outcomes reported for each.
This information was presented at the Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee meeting on 13 April 2026, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
