The story so far

HFE has grown out of a strong foundation of regional collaboration, evolving from the East of England Population Health Research Hub (PHReSH). PHReSH brought together over 80 academics and practitioners to support the COVID-19 response, demonstrating the power of cross-sectoral partnerships in tackling urgent health challenges. It focused on evidence generation, knowledge exchange, and capacity building—principles that continue to underpin HFE’s work. PHResH resources remain available in the PHResH Resource Library.

In late 2023, a regional roundtable identified a shared ambition to deepen collaboration between academic and service partners to address complex population health needs. Recognising the limitations of fragmented efforts and the need for coordinated action, a Task and Finish group was formed to develop a new model for integrated working. Their recommendations led to the creation of Healthy Futures East—a forward-looking, action-oriented collaboration designed to harness the region’s rich expertise and resources.

In March 2025, we hosted the Healthier Futures for the East Symposium at the University of Cambridge to mark the transition from PHResH to HFE. This milestone event brought together over 90 leaders from academia, public health, the NHS, Integrated Care Boards, local authorities, and national funders. Together, we reflected on the region’s health challenges, celebrated PHResH’s achievements, and co-designed the vision for HFE. The symposium catalysed a shared ambition: to build a more collaborative, preventive, and data-informed health system that delivers deep and lasting impact.

The insights and recommendations from the symposium directly shaped HFE’s structure, priorities, and approach. With a dedicated core team, strategic governance, and a scalable operating model, HFE now leads a region-wide effort to integrate research and practice, pilot Health Challenge Task Forces and embed evaluation and knowledge mobilisation into service improvement.