Last week marked the 75th anniversary of the NHS.

The week before I was asked to present at a Sussex Integrated Care System (ICS) health inequalities event, at which I was the only district and borough council present out of 12 who occupy the geographical patch. Of course, I asked why were no other districts and boroughs present (or invited).

This highlights the continued confusion between the work of the health sector and the various tiers of local authorities, which in many places across the country fails to recognise the role of districts and boroughs in improving the health of their citizens. In the tangled world of health, it is still not appreciated by many what district and boroughs do and acknowledge that we are ‘essential partners’ to improve health outcomes.