South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 03/07/2013

He joined representatives from South Gloucestershire Council and the NHS at Yate Library on Tuesday 2 July to launch the district’s first Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy alongside Dr Mark Pietroni, Interim Director of Public Health for South Gloucestershire and Cllr Heather Goddard, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

A number of groups who contributed their views to the strategy were also present including the charity Headway, based at Frenchay Hospital, South Glos Parents and Carers, Age UK, The Alzheimer’s Society, Merlin Housing and the National Autistic Society Avon branch and many more.

The health of people in South Gloucestershire is good with life expectancy higher than the national average. Overall life expectancy has risen in South Gloucestershire by about two and a half years over the last 10 years. However, some groups and communities experience poorer health than others. The aim of the South Gloucestershire Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy is to improve health for all.

At the heart of the strategy are the needs and views of the local population, which have been widely consulted on during the development of the strategy. The strategy sets out the priorities and actions which the South Gloucestershire Health & Wellbeing Board plan to carry out between now and 2016 to improve the health and wellbeing of people living and working in the area and to decrease health inequalities.

It focuses on six themes including making the healthy choice the easy choice, tackling health inequalities; making the best start in life; fulfilling lives for all; ageing well and accessing the right services in the right place, at the right time.

Cllr Heather Goddard, Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board, will be speaking at the event. She said: “Overall, the health of people in South Gloucestershire is good and there have been some notable improvements in recent years including reduced deaths from heart and lung disease, stroke and cancers.

“Everyone in South Gloucestershire should have the right to enjoy good health and wellbeing in order to lead fulfilled and active lives in our communities. This strategy has a focus on making faster improvements for our most vulnerable residents and those who experience a poorer quality of life. Working in partnership with colleagues in health and a range of voluntary and community groups, we can all help to make South Gloucestershire an even healthier place to live.”

Dr Mark Pietroni, Interim Director of Public Health, added: “The strategy demonstrates excellent partnership working between the Health & Wellbeing Board, South Gloucestershire Council, the Clinical Commissioning Group and the community/voluntary sector. We are not complacent and recognise that there is still work to be done to tackle the health inequalities which exist.

“The successful implementation of the strategy will involve still wider partnership and greater joined-up working, not only amongst the Health & Wellbeing Board member organisations, but increasingly with voluntary groups, communities and the people of South Gloucestershire.”

Dr Jonathan Hayes, Chair of South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Health inequalities are stubborn, persistent and difficult to change. They are also widening and will continue to do so unless we do things differently. This means addressing not only the short-term consequences of avoidable ill health, but also the longer-term causes. The strategy provides a framework for health and local authority professionals, community and voluntary groups, to work together to support a mix of local services to meet a diversity of local need.”

A copy of the Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy is available online at http://hosted.southglos.gov.uk/oaof/jhws.htm     ​