The voices we heard - and those we didn’t: Reflections from Insights North East 2026
Our senior leadership team member Jule Coulson represented Ways to Wellness at the fourth annual Insights North East Conference last week, and one observation that stayed with her after the event was about who wasn't in the room.
“Themed around powering policy for long-term transformation, conversations about centring citizen’s voices in the implementation of innovation to help reduce inequalities and further the NHS mission towards prevention, were rich and thoughtful, yet there appeared to be relatively little representation from the private sector, either on stage or among attendees. For me, this raised a vital question around how we engage all the actors who shape people's lives, because improving health outcomes requires action across disparate systems.
“There are few, if any aspects of life untouched by health, and many of the determinants of health inequity in the UK, and the North East region in particular, sit outside traditional health and public sector institutions. Employers, insurers, technology firms, private as well as social housing providers, retailers, and local businesses, all shape people's health experiences. And we often talk about meeting people where they are. “
Health is everyone’s business
“The reality is that most people spend far more time interacting with employers, shops, transport networks, housing providers and digital platforms than they do with health services or the politicians shaping them. If we truly want to address long-term health inequity, these organisations must join and help drive the conversation.
“Conferences are valuable not just because they showcase the variety and intricacy required to bring together partners involved in collaborating successfully with initiatives such as Insights North East, but because they gather those who see the world differently - to challenge, and therefore encourage radical thinking. While the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and public services both understand complexity and lived experience, businesses often bring expertise in scaling ideas, customer insight, and behavioural change. “
Building a bigger coalition for change
“There is real potential in creating spaces where these perspectives can question, and strengthen, one another. Perhaps the question is not whether the private sector should be in the room, but how we create spaces in which the discussion is as attractive and worthwhile for the least represented sectors as it is for those making up the numbers. If we’re serious about tackling health inequities through more relational, person-centred and long-term approaches, we need to engage all those who influence the conditions in which people live, work, and age.
“The challenge for future events may be less about representation, and more about building the shared language, trust and purpose that enables an even broader opportunity for partnership across sectors.”
