The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation working to build a healthier UK.  It is the second largest endowed foundation in the UK focusing on health, and it spends around £40m a year on improving health and health care.  The Foundation is accountable to its independent Board of Governors and to the Charity Commission.

The Health Foundation is funded by a large endowment which underpins its independence and ability to work for the long term.  Investing this endowment enables the Health Foundation to fund projects that improve health and care and means it can operate as an entirely sustainable and independent foundation.

The Centre for Health Communication Research has received a significant and generous grant from the Health Foundation which will enable us to reduce the cost of the first cohort of our new postgraduate course in health communication and consultation.

The Health Foundation believes… health is shaped by a range of factors including our early life, the work we do, the income we earn, the education we receive and the homes and places we live in.  The health and care system should support good health and wellbeing by enabling everyone to access the high-quality treatment, care and support they need, when they need it.  

Yet, good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK. Improvements in life expectancy have slowed.  We compare poorly with other leading nations on some important aspects of our health, such as cancer and heart disease.  Deep inequalities in health between our poorest and wealthiest communities have widened. Meanwhile, health and care services are under huge pressure and struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care. 

It doesn’t have to be like this. By valuing our health as an asset, investing in health and care services and focusing on the wider factors that shape our health and drive inequalities, we can build a healthier nation.