Public Health Annual Report (PHAR)

The Director of Public Health is the foremost advisor on health for the city.

The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health is a statutory function and forms an element of the strategic planning process for improving population health and reducing health inequalities together with the JSNA process and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy process.

Public Health Annual Reports can be comprehensive or may focus on a particular theme and usually present a set of recommendations for future action.

Annual report for 2025

This year’s Public Health Annual Report highlights how Liverpool’s public health services are being transformed to better meet community needs. Despite ongoing challenges in health and wellbeing, the city is focusing on reducing deprivation, addressing emerging public health issues, and narrowing long‑standing health gaps. Since April 2020, major service changes have aimed to improve quality, enhance access, and target support where it is needed most. The report showcases progress across key services including the 0–19 Healthy Child Programme, Liv Life weight management, Stop Smoking, all‑age drug and alcohol support, sexual health services, and the Community IPC Service.

The report also sets out recommendations to drive continued improvement, reinforcing Liverpool's dedication to building a healthier, fairer future for everyone.

Read the annual report for 2025 — Innovating for Impact

Previous reports

• Public Health Annual Report 2024 — Fairer, Healthier, Stronger for all
• Public Health Annual Report 2023 — Culture and Communities
• Public Health Annual Report 2022 — Living safely and fairly with Covid-19

• Public Health Annual Report 2024: Fairer, Healthier, Stronger for all (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2024: Fairer, Healthier, Stronger for all (PDF) (PDF: 3.8 MB)

• Public Health Annual Report 2022: Living safely and fairly with Covid-19 (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2022: Living safely and fairly with Covid-19 (PDF) (PDF: 1011 KB)

• Public Health Annual Report 2021: Liverpool's Journey through 2021 (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2021: Liverpool's Journey through 2021 (PDF) (PDF: 7.5 MB)

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• Public Health Annual Report 2020: Liverpool's Covid-19 Journey (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2020: Liverpool's Covid-19 Journey (PDF) (PDF: 6 MB)

  This report tells the story of the pandemic in Liverpool, makes recommendations for improvement in the future and highlights the local impacts of Covid-19.

  First published: 29/03/2021

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• Public Health Annual Report 2019: We Mind The Gap (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2019: We Mind The Gap (PDF) (PDF: 2.4 MB)

  The focus of the 2019 annual report are the health inequalities that exist within Liverpool in comparison with England.

  First published: 29/03/2019

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• Public Health Annual Report 2019: Recommendations and actions (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2019: Recommendations and actions (PDF) (PDF: 186 KB)

  Our 2019 PHAR focused on health inequalities, setting out 13 recommendations to take a whole city approach to prioritising and tackling this important issue that is intrinsically linked to the social determinants of health. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened pre-existing inequalities, many of which have influenced the unequal impacts of COVID-19 in the first place.

  First published: 18/05/2021

• Public Health Annual Report 2018: Our Health Protection Challenges (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2018: Our Health Protection Challenges (PDF) (PDF: 1.9 MB)

  The 2018 annual report is a review of our top health protection challenges for Liverpool.

  First published: 29/03/2018

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• Public Health Annual Report 2017: The Impact of Austerity on Health and Wellbeing (PDF)

  Download this document: Public Health Annual Report 2017: The Impact of Austerity on Health and Wellbeing (PDF) (PDF: 3.2 MB)

  The focus of the 2017 annual report is a review of the health impacts of austerity and welfare reform measures have had on our residents.

  First published: 29/03/2017

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PDFs may not be fully accessible. If you require further support or an alternative format, please email publichealth@liverpool.gov.uk.