Invitation to share views on health priorities for Shropshire

Shropshire residents of all ages are being invited to share their views on priorities which have been set out to improve the health and well-being of the population of Shropshire.

Thoughts and ideas are being sought on the revised draft Shropshire’s Health and Well-Being Strategy, which outlines the long-term vision for health and well-being in the county and identifies the immediate priority areas for action. The priorities include:

• Health promotion and resilience
• Promoting independence at home
• Promoting easy to access and joined-up care.

The draft strategy aims to describe how organisations can work together to have the greatest impact in improving people’s health and well-being.

The strategy is based on evidence produced from a comprehensive assessment of Shropshire’s population, called the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and feedback gained at events held with partner organisations, groups representing patients and people using services, providers of services and others.

The document has been developed by Shropshire Health and Well-being Board which is a partnership comprising of health and social care organisations across the county.

Established and hosted by local authorities, health and well-being boards bring together the NHS, public health, adult social care and children’s services, elected representatives and Local Healthwatch, to plan how best to meet the needs of their local population and tackle local inequalities in health.

The Health and Well-being Board has worked in conjunction with health and well-being providers to develop the strategy. Organisations include:

Shropshire Council, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly, Healthwatch Shropshire, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, and others.

Now the Health and Well-being Board wants to hear from Shropshire residents, to find out what people think of the proposed priorities and whether they agree with the vision outlined in the draft strategy.

People can share their views by filling in an online survey. All Shropshire residents are encouraged to get involved and to have their say.

Karen Calder Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, and Chair of Shrosphire’s Health and Well-Being Board, said:

“We know from evidence and experience that overall the health and well-being of people in Shropshire is good, and life expectancy is higher than the national average.

“However, as more of us live longer, we want to ensure that we are able to maintain good health, and the quality of our lives, for longer, and we want to reduce inequalities in health, as some people do not have the same opportunities as others.

“We want people to tell us if they agree with the priorities put forward. This does not mean that work to address other health and well-being issues will not happen.

“We all need to work together, as individuals, in our families and as part of our communities to look after our health and well-being and support those around us. This strategy belongs to all of us, and we all have our part to play. There is already a lot of good work going on in the county, including initiatives that will contribute to our vision and outcomes – but this will help us to focus where there is the greatest need.

Jane Randall-Smith of Healthwatch Shropshire also commented:

“Healthwatch Shropshire is committed to ensuring local people have the chance to make their views known about their experience of health and social care services in Shropshire. We are very pleased to have been part of developing the Health and Well-being Strategy, and we’ll be playing an instrumental role in communicating the Health and Well-Being Strategy consultation.

“By seeking the views of patients and users of services and telling us what works and what doesn’t, people will help us drive improvements where needed across our health and social care services in Shropshire.”

People have until Sunday 29 November 2015 to fill in the survey – http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/health-and-wellbeing-strategy/. Or go to the Shropshire Council website and search for “Health and Well-being Strategy” under Get Involved.

For more information about the survey or to request the survey in another format contact Penny Bason or Charlotte Cadwallader by email: penny.bason@shropshire.gov.uk or　charlotte.cadwallader@shropshire.gov.uk, or by calling 01743 253937.

Further information

Vision

The vision outlined in the strategy is:

To help as many people as possible live long, happy and productive lives by promoting health and well-being at all stages of life.

The HWBB believes we need a new approach to health and care that nurtures wellness and encourages positive health behaviour at all stages of people’s lives, across all communities and across all the systems that we work and live in.

We need to:

Start Well – parents make good choices for their bumps and babes; early years and schools support good mental and physical health and wellbeing; services are available when and if they are needed;

Live Well – we make good choices for ourselves as we become adults to keep well and healthy, both physically and mentally; accessing support from services when and if they are needed;

Age Well – making good choices as an adult means that as Shropshire people age they are as fit and well as can be; people continuing to make good lifestyle choices throughout their lives can prevent many long term conditions such as dementia and heart disease.

Priorities

• Health promotion and resilience

Health promotion and resilience are about encouraging people to make good choices at every stage of life. It is also about making sure that the right support is available when it is needed and that services are there not only to help us to feel better, but to help stop illness or physical difficulty from happening again.

• Promoting independence at home

Promoting easy to access and joined up care will mean that people are able to experience care that can best meet their individual needs. Care will not feel disjointed and to help people to access care, they will have the right information about where to go and what to expect. People will also receive the right information to help them make informed choices.

• Promoting easy to access and joined up care

Promoting independence at home will involve planning support so that people are able to stay in a place that is familiar to them as well as having the assistance of their community in keeping well and living their daily life.