New report highlights health priorities for Forest of Dean
30.07.2009
The annual report of the Director of Public Health published today highlights how NHS Gloucestershire is planning its services to meet the health challenges facing the county, now and in the future.
The report features six district level briefings, which provide information on the key health issues and priorities for action at a local level.
The district briefings are based on the outcomes of the county’s first Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and the launch of the eJSNA, a new online planning tool - containing the latest data on the population of the county, its health and lifestyle.
The report shows that while ‘overall health in Gloucestershire is good’, there are variations in health between and within districts, and a strong association between deprivation and poor health. It also flags up the county-wide challenge of caring for an ageing population.
In the Forest of Dean early deaths from heart disease, cancer and strokes are falling, but they are still higher than the county average. Rates of adult obesity and smoking related deaths are also higher.
The report highlights the impact which healthy lifestyle choices, such as stopping smoking, increasing physical activity, and healthier eating would make to tackling these issues and improving health outcomes for all local residents.
It also details the actions being taken by NHS Gloucestershire to address the specific health and social care needs of the district, particularly in its most deprived neighbourhoods.
A dedicated Health Improvement Facilitator has been appointed to work alongside local organisations in some of the Forest’s most deprived neighbourhoods. A Children and Young People’s partnership and Older Persons partnership have also been established to co-ordinate the delivery of health improvement programmes aimed at these groups.
Other initiatives highlighted in the report include
- A new programme to promote active aging and reduce falls amongst the district’s older residents, including exercise classes and the introduction of a ‘bone health’ service to support early detection and treatment of osteoporosis.
- The MEND – Mind, Exercise, Nutrition – Do it’ programme targeted at 7-13 years olds and their families
- New training for local Pharmacists to provide community based support to residents wanting to give up smoking.
- A joint initiative between school nurses and youth workers to set up drop in sessions in all secondary schools in the Forest to improve access to sexual health advice and support for young people.
Welcoming the report Dr Shona Arora, Director of Public Health said:
‘NHS Gloucestershire is committed to working with Forest of Dean District Council, other local partners, and the local community to tackle the health challenges identified in today’s report’.
‘Every year, far too many people in the Forest suffer avoidable ill health or die earlier than they should. Health inequalities are unacceptable and we know that with the right actions, they can be prevented’.
‘The JSNA is at the heart of improving health outcomes for all local residents. By understanding where the district’s deprived areas are we can ensure that resources and services are targeted more effectively’.
‘More than ever, healthy lifestyle choices matter, but choices can be influenced by wider factors such as income, unemployment and housing. Our job is to make healthy choices as easy as possible for people in the Forest of Dean and across the county as a whole’.
Today’s report is only the start of the process. The JSNA will continue to build, as new data becomes available. NHS Gloucestershire will also be publishing update reports through the year reporting on different health priorities, and emerging trends at the county and district level.
