Delivering health improvement in County Durham and Darlington 2005/06
Foreword
>Major changes are underway in the NHS and it is vital that the focus on improvingg health and tackling inequalities in health is maintained during the transition period.
>As the Directors of Public Health of the six current PCTs in County Durham andd Darlington, we are determined that the partnership work to improve health and tacklee health inequalities, developed and delivered in the last four years, is taken forward inn the new organisational arrangements..
>> This shared overarching annual report is a contribution to the NHS Local Deliveryy Plan for the County Durham and Darlington NHS oeclusterr, and clearly highlights thee work that needs to be done. This will directly inform the commissioning processes off the new NHS bodies as well as reinforcing the ongoing partnership priorities.. We have based this report on the national priorities identified in Choosing Health1,, and The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2006/72, emphasising thee specific needs of the population of County Durham and Darlington..
>> In addition we will produce supplements to this report, providing data and updates onn delivery in relation to priorities from last year for each current PCT area/Locall Strategic Partnership by September 2006.
>Key Messages
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- > Health in County Durham and Darlington is poor compared with Englandd with extreme poor health in some areas. A health inequalities strategy iss required to influence commissioning at all levels. Delivery of the healthh inequalities agenda continues to be a key function for PCTs and locall authorities and requires a continued commitment to partnership working andd public health input to Local Strategic Partnerships, Community Strategies andd Local Area Agreements. It is essential that capacity is retained in the neww PCTs to deliver this.. >
- > Smoking is the biggest single contributor to the shorter life expectancyy experienced locally. The NHS and national and local government mustt support the tobacco control agenda. The establishment of smoke freee enclosed public places and workplaces will contribute to the protection of nonsmokerss from secondhand smoke. Crucially this denormalisation of smoking iss the best way of preventing young people from starting to smoke and off encouraging smokers to quit. This must be supported by Stop Smokingg services which effectively target the more disadvantaged groups in thee community.. >
- > Levels of obesity in County Durham and Darlington are among the worstt in England and concerted efforts are required across agencies to preventt this situation worsening. The groundwork for tackling obesity in Countyy Durham and Darlington has now been done and costed pathways developed.. NICE guidance is anticipated in November 2006 which will reinforce the abovee points. The NHS needs to commit to a planned programme of investment inn treatment services for those who are already obese.. >
- > Locally and nationally, sexually transmitted infections are increasing.. Considerable effort will be required to meet the national targets forr reduction in waiting times for GUM (Genito Urinary Medicine) services.. The level of teenage pregnancy in England and locally continues to bee high and the target for reduction will be difficult to meet. Local plans aree in place, based on a foundation of strong partnership working, to address thesee challenging targets. The NHS must continue to adopt the lead role in deliveringg these plans and to identify the funding required for implementation.. >
- > Poor mental health impacts upon individuals, their physical health, familyy members, carers and society as a whole in economic and social terms.> People with mental health issues experience stigma and discrimination.. Education and employment opportunities are key to promoting mental healthh and promoting social inclusion. Critical issues for the next year includee improving the commissioning of services which impact on mental wellbeing,, performance management of these services, and a co-ordinated approach too address the contribution of mental health to the worklessness agenda.. >
- > Dangerous drinking, both chronic and binge, is significantly higher thann the national average in County Durham and Darlington. Alcohol causess harm to individuals, families, and communities. It increases the burden off accidents, unemployability, anti social behaviour and violence. At the samee time drinking is a part of our social fabric, and underpins many aspects off commercial activity. It is crucial that during 2006/07 work is undertaken withh key partners through the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, Locall Area Agreements and the Drug and Alcohol Action Teams to promote saferr drinking and ensure early and effective interventions are available if problemss occur.. >
- > There is good evidence for settings approaches to health improvementt and for the impact of healthy settings on outcomes such as improvedd educational attainment and reduced absenteeism from work. Developingg infrastructure in settings enables efficient and integrated delivery of Choosingg Health1 targets. Increased capacity will be required to support community andd workplace based programmes.. >
- Effective health protection relies on good partnerships between thee PCTs, HPU (Health Protection Unit), local authorities and others. It is vitall that these effective partnerships are maintained during the current restructuringg of PCTs and any future restructuring of local authorities. Improving services forr the diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis C, including effective Hepatitis B and AA immunisation programmes for intravenous drug users is a priority.. >
- > Infection Control is a growing agenda which requires both strategicc overview and support in operational delivery across County Durham andd Darlington. It is a critical but often overlooked service required wherever theree are operational services and staff working. New commissioners of services willl need to ensure provision of this service regardless of PCT configurations.. >
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cdddphreport2005-6_1.pdf
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