The 2025 Annual LARCH Learning and Engagement Conference

On Friday 7th March 2025, the London Anti-Racism Collaboration for Health (LARCH) convened leading health and care professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to explore challenges and opportunities to drive systemic change in tackling health inequalities in the London regions. Delivered in partnership with the Race Equality Foundation and Health Innovation Network South London, the conference provided a platform for collaborative discussions on embedding anti-racist practice in health and social care.

From these discussions key themes emerged throughout the day, underlining the priority areas for action:

Delivering impactful EDI initiatives in a globally challenging environment. Using high-quality data and real-world evidence to demonstrate progress and value for our work is more critical than ever.
There has been clear progress in the development of inclusive public health programmes, workforce initiatives, and the development of best practice frameworks like PCREF and REMI. The next challenge is scaling to a whole-system approach and ensuring all our population benefits from best practice.
We must co-produce solutions with communities, embedding care and services in spaces and places people already use and trust.

The conference was chaired by Dame Marie Gabriel CBE, Independent Chair at the NHS Race and Health Observatory. Delegates were welcomed with a powerful opening remark by Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, reasserting how LARCH is not just a platform for dialogue, but a catalyst for action, championing anti-racism as both a moral imperative and necessary act of leadership in the face of global threats to equity and inclusion.

Professor Peter Goldblatt, Senior Adviser at Institute for Health Equity, examined structural racism in healthcare and disparities in ethnicity data, emphasising how intersectionality, migrations patterns, and systemic inequalities shape health outcomes. Building on the discussion, Professor Kevin Fenton, Regional Public Health Director at NHS London, underlined the need for data-driven, systemic approaches that embed anti-racism in leadership, workforce diversity, and community engagement in his keynote address. He acknowledged the challenges of this work but offered an important reminder “We are undoing ways of thinking, ways of being, and ways of interacting with each other, it will take time, but we must stay committed.”

Jabeer Butt OBE, Chief Executive at the Race Equality Foundation, chaired the panel discussion on anti-racism strategies. The discussion highlighted the need for stronger relations and collaboration across sectors, including police and education, to address broader social determinants of health. Key themes included leveraging available data to inform decision-making, building trust through community outreach, and using personal privilege, leadership and existing resources to challenge systemic inequalities.

The afternoon session drew a full house and maintained the positive atmosphere and engagement from the morning. With a focus on practical applications, delegates explored best practices through six in-depth workshops and real-world case studies. Reflecting on the event, Janine La Rosa, Chief People Officer NHS reinforced the collective responsibility to turn insights into practice. Dame Marie Gabriel CBE closed the conference by delivering a call to keep “moving purposely forward, in unity and even greater determination”.