About the Health Foundation
We are an independent charitable organisation working to build a healthier UK
Health is our most precious asset. A healthier UK means improved health and reduced health inequalities. To make this happen, we need the building blocks of good health – like decent housing and good jobs – in place for more people across society. And we need high-quality and equitable health and care services now and in the future.
But the nation’s health is increasingly frayed and unequal – and health and care services are under pressure, with too many people going without the care and support they need.
The Foundation can play an important role in helping to build a healthier population.
Our independence, expertise and ability to work for the long term puts us in a unique position to respond to the major health challenges facing the UK.
Our goals
Our mission is to help build a healthier UK by:
Society-wide action is needed to improve health and reduce health inequalities to enable people to achieve their potential, fuelling the economy and helping to build a stronger society.
Equitable access to high-quality health services is essential to protect and improve the nation’s health.
Ensuring that innovation in health care delivery is supported by the rapid cycles of testing and learning required for the biggest impact.
What we do
We work towards our goals by generating research and analysis, testing practical solutions, bringing people together through convening and partnerships, and developing networks and long-term capability.
Underpinning these approaches is our commitment to make the Foundation more relevant and responsive to people in the UK. We do this by ensuring our work builds in the perspectives of the public – for instance, through research with people using services and by embedding public participation in our research.
Our values and how we work
Our work is guided by our organisational values.
We set bold and ambitious goals to achieve our mission, take calculated risks to make a difference and learn from success and failure to adapt our approach.
We are outward facing, curious and informed about what works, use a mix of data – including lived experiences – to inform our work and constructively challenge assumptions and norms.
We uphold robust standards of evidence and quality, build integrity and fairness into all our work and show respect, kindness and empathy.
We focus on our mission, combine our expertise with others to build partnerships and create safe spaces for honesty, openness and feedback.
In line with these values, we are prioritising action to become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. Improving health equity in the UK is at the heart of our mission. And achieving our mission is only possible by being a flourishing and fair organisation – one that values equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and builds these principles into how we work. Our EDI strategy sets the direction for this work over the coming years and our priorities for action.
We also aim to embed environmental sustainability into our work – including by working to become a net-zero organisation.
Other policies that guide our work
How we are funded
We are funded by an endowment of over £1bn, underpinning our independence and ability to work for the long term. Investing this endowment enables us to spend around £50m per year on improving health and care and means we can operate as an entirely sustainable and independent foundation.
Who we work with
We work with a wide range of organisations and individuals to further our goals. The work that results from any arrangement with another party must align with our charitable objectives, strategy and values.
We also provide support and funding to those working to build a healthier UK, and help shine a light on how to make successful change happen.
Further reading
