New report highlights health priorities for Stroud district
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 district level data on the population, 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 tackling these health inequalities is a major priority for future service delivery.
Overall residents in the Stroud district enjoy good health, and a safe and clean environment. Death rates in Stroud from major diseases, including heart disease and cancer are below the England average, and falling.
The differences in health between neighbourhoods are also smaller than in other parts of the county.
Stroud is projected to see a sharp increase in people aged over 75 in the next 17 years, and the report showcases the positive work being carried out by NHS Gloucestershire, Stroud District Council, and other local partners to address the challenges of caring for an aging population.
Highlights include: the Careline service, a low cost home alarm scheme for older residents; neighbourhood classes on falls prevention and postural stability, and new weekly walking programmes across the district.
The report also emphasises the importance of increasing the physical activity levels of young people in Stroud, which are slightly lower than the county as a whole.
A new children’s activity scheme is being piloted in Cam and Dursley, providing 12 week activity programmes for local families referred by a GP or teacher; and work is underway to introduce similar initiatives in other parts of the district in the coming year.
Welcoming the report Dr Shona Arora, Director of Public Health said:
‘More than ever, healthy lifestyle choices matter and our job is to make these choices as easy as possible for people in Stroud and across the county.
The JSNA is at the heart of improving health outcomes in Gloucestershire. Understanding what the health challenges are at the district level helps ensure that resources and services are targeted where they are most needed.
NHS Gloucestershire is working closely with Stroud District Council to develop the new Stroud Community Strategy, and today’s report gives us a platform on which to build future actions to address the health needs of local residents’.
