The Health Commission was put together at the request of Councillor Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council, with the backing of key partners including Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS and the Glasgow Centre for Population and Health.

After years of sustained economic regeneration in the city, Cllr Purcell believes there is now a historic opportunity to transform the health of all people in Glasgow.

He sees the commission as the starting block for a major push against health inequalities in the city. It will form a key part of the Council’s efforts to ensure the 2014 Commonwealth Games leave a lasting legacy for the people of Glasgow.
 

Chaired by Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University, the Health Commission will use existing evidence on the city’s health and wellbeing in order to make practical recommendations for policy and action to improve health and reduce inequalities. The new body will also engage with communities in Glasgow before producing any recommendations.
 

Senior representatives from the NHS and Glasgow Centre for Population and Health will sit on the commission. Other members come from a broad range of backgrounds and include a church minister, a GP, a business leader and an athlete.
 

Cllr Purcell said: "I believe that winning the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games has presented us with the best chance in a generation to raise the aspiration of every Glaswegian and improve their lives. I have given a commitment that I want everyone in the city to benefit from the legacy of the Games and that includes improved health for all.
 

"It has been long recognised that the root causes of poor health and health inequalities lie beyond the scope of health services alone. They include such issues as employment, transport, housing, the environment, leisure and education and the aspirations of our citizens.
 

"This commission will look at all of these factors and come back with recommendations for the major partners in Glasgow."
 

He added: "I am delighted that Prof Gillies has agreed to chair the commission and that the other members have agreed to take part. The combined expertise and input that will come from their wide breadth of knowledge and experience means we will have a fighting chance of improving the lives of all our citizens."
 

Prof Gillies said: "We recognise that a serious and focussed attempt to tackle the inequalities in health that have been prevalent and resistant to change for far too many years will need wide-ranging solutions that address some of the social factors that impact on health.
 

"The Health Commission will therefore fully engage with key figures in education, health, leisure, business, and voluntary and community organisations.
 

"The membership of the Commission includes individuals with real influence on the ground, who will act as champions in taking forward the development and, importantly, the implementation of our recommendations within the community. We hope that our work can contribute to the transformation of the health and wellbeing of the people of our local communities.
 

"The challenge for the Health Commission will be to pull together the wealth of evidence about health inequalities to make recommendations for real actions for immediate improvements in the health and wellbeing of the people of Glasgow. It will also seek to make recommendations for investment in changes with a longer term impact on the quality of life of people in local communities.
 

"The Health Commission will seek evidence from a broad range of sources, and will learn from nations and cities around the world where positive action has seen a transformation in public health in less than a generation."
 

Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said:  "I am looking forward to working with the Commission to support all the work already going on to improve Glasgow's health. 
 

"The members come from a wide range of backgrounds with different types of expertise and I hope they will provide new perspectives on health and disadvantage as well as helping progress some difficult areas such as creating a healthier environment and culture."
 

An initial report back to the Leader of the Council is expected some time early next year.

The members of the Health Commission are:
 
• Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal, Glasgow Caledonian University (Chair);

• Neil Baxter, Secretary, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland;

• Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde;

• Ian Galloway, Gorbals Parish Minister;

• Dr Colin Guthrie, GP, Dumbarton Road clinic;

• Alastair Ireland, A&E Consultant, Glasgow Royal Infirmary;

• Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance;

• Lee McConnell, athlete;

• Tony McElroy, Corporate Affairs Manager, Tesco plc;

• Ros Micklem, Director Scotland, Equality & Human Rights Commission;

• Helen Puttick, Health Correspondent, The Herald;

• Patricia Rainey, Marriott Hotels/Glasgow Employers’ Coalition;

• Sheila Richard, Executive Director, The Coach House Trust;

• Graham Robertson, Chief Executive, NHS Health Scotland;

• Alan Sinclair, The Work Foundation/Centre for Confidence & Wellbeing;

• Professor Carol Tannahill, Director, Glasgow Centre for Population Health.