TELCO – Barts Health NHS Trust: A Collaborative Partnership for building Health Equity in East London

TELCO – Barts Health NHS Trust: A Collaborative Partnership for building Health Equity in East London

Health Equity Action Leadership Project in East London

The Health Equity Action Leadership (HEAL) project is a 2-year project which aims to engage communities and develop the leadership capacity of populations which are better equipped to tackle health inequalities and play a role in the transformation of health services in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

The Project aims to provide staff capacity within TELCO and Barts Health NHS Trust to improve health outcomes and address health inequalities facing populations in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

A designated member of staff with experience in community organising working at the interface between Telco and Barts Health is contracted to train, listen to, mobilise and organise local populations to be better equipped to play an effective and meaningful role in the transformation of services.

TELCO (East London Citizens Organisation)

TELCO (the East London Citizens Organisation) is the founding Chapter of Citizens UK, the UK’s largest community organising network. We are comprised of 80 diverse member institutions in Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Hackney & City, and Barking & Dagenham. Members are faith, education, labour and third-sector organisations that work together for social justice and the common good. Based on the model of community organising TELCO has a 28-year legacy of developing leaders, strengthening communities and the organisations within them. Community Organisers embedded in neighbourhoods across East London are dedicated to building the capacity of trained leaders and communities to listen to the people and build power to make change on the issues that matter.

For over 28 years, our members have worked together to improve the lives of families experiencing poverty, unemployment and substandard housing and homelessness. This work is made possible by our faith and community leaders working together on common issues. To date, the Living Wage is our most successful campaign. It is backed by 15,000 employers across the UK and has lifted over 460,000 workers out of in-work poverty, putting £3bn back into the pockets of low-paid workers since the campaign was launched in 2001. We are proud to count Barts Health NHS Trust among accredited Living Wage Employers.

Health as a Central Focus

After two decades of addressing the root causes of poor health, TELCO members voted to make health a key strategic priority. Since 2016, TELCO has partnered with Queen Mary University of London’s Global Public Health department to use expert research to influence local healthcare services. Working with Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), TELCO co-designed and facilitated a participatory budgeting exercise to inform healthcare commissioning. For the past five years, TELCO has also collaborated with the Rethink Mental Health charity, including efforts to build a Mental Health Alliance in Tower Hamlets. Additionally, TELCO facilitated a cultural exchange for a staff member as part of a secondment with Barts Health.

COVID-19 and Health Inequalities

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant health inequalities in East London, particularly among ethnic minority communities. As the virus spread, it became clear that residents in Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Newham—boroughs with high levels of poverty and inequality—were disproportionately affected. The pandemic highlighted barriers to accessing healthcare, including language challenges, mistrust of health providers, and cultural differences that impacted how care was received. TELCO gathered evidence of these struggles, hearing stories of how family members had to miss school or work to accompany relatives to appointments and how poor quality of care and disregard for cultural beliefs led to hesitancy in seeking healthcare.

Partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust

As COVID-19 swept through East London, overwhelming communities and hospitals, TELCO organizers and leaders responded to a call from Barts Health NHS Trust to join the Barts Health Faith and Community Leaders Forum. This forum brought together Imams, Rabbis, Priests, Teachers, Academics, and Community Organizers, who partnered with Barts Health directors and clinicians throughout the pandemic. These trusted leaders played a critical role in reaching their communities, translating vital health information, and increasing vaccine uptake. Their respected voices helped bridge the gap between the healthcare sector and the community, resulting in initiatives like vaccine centres at the East London Mosque and St Barnabas Church, and social media campaigns that successfully reached Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities.

The Legacy of the Partnership

The successful collaboration during the pandemic led to the creation of the HEAL project, aimed at addressing ongoing post-pandemic healthcare challenges and building health leadership within communities.

HEAL in Practice: Anchor Institutions and HEAL Champions

HEAL will be piloted in three TELCO member institutions. Key leaders from these institutions will serve on the HEAL steering committee, alongside colleagues from Barts Health, to recruit and train HEAL Champions. These champions will be trained in basic health literacy and community organizing, hosting Health Bank surgeries where they will listen to community health concerns and work with healthcare experts to develop solutions. The champions will provide feedback to the steering committee to shape winnable campaigns and engage policymakers. Upon completion, HEAL champions will receive certification, and their institutions will be recognized with a HEAL badge. This process aims to foster leadership, improve health literacy, strengthen relationships with healthcare providers, and enhance community understanding of how to access healthcare systems.

Shifting the Health Narrative: From Illness to Wellness

The HEAL project seeks to shift the traditional healthcare narrative from a focus on illness to one on wellness. While illness-based approaches often address immediate health needs through short-term treatments, wellness emphasizes building long-term relationships, leadership, and health literacy. Wellness initiatives aim to create lasting health improvements by embedding healthy practices within institutional cultures and fostering community ownership of health outcomes. Equity is at the heart of this approach, ensuring that individual needs are met and disparities are addressed to provide sustainable, high-quality healthcare for all.

Reflections on the Partnership

Beth Brown, Associate Director for Patient Participation and Community Engagement, emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing systemic health inequalities. "While NHS Trusts have a duty to tackle health disparities, we know we cannot do it alone. The HEAL partnership provides an opportunity to focus on our shared resources and build trusted relationships to support those most affected by inequalities."

Brown also reflected on the cultural exchange opportunities within the partnership. "Being involved in TELCO events, like the 25th Anniversary, International Women’s Day, and the London Mayoral Assembly, demonstrated the power of community organizing to drive change. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by people who care enough to work together to reduce inequalities."

In conclusion, the HEAL project represents a significant step forward in addressing health inequalities in East London through community leadership, trust-building, and a shift toward wellness-focused healthcare.