“On line” health checks launched in York

Health and well-being team

A new wellbeing service for York residents will launches today with the aim of helping people live happier, healthier and more active lives.

The YorWellbeing service is led by City of York Council’s public health team and seeks to bring all the healthy living services together giving residents access to advice and support on healthy living.

As the new service launches residents are being encouraged to have a free health check online at www.yorwellbeing.org.uk.  The health checks aim to tell people about their risk of preventable health conditions, help them learn about how lifestyle can influence risk and offer advice to live a healthier lifestyle.

People unable to go online are able to call the team on 01904 553377 for support and advice.

Those found to be at increased risk following the online assessment will be signposted to advice and, if eligible, will be offered a one to one appointment with the YorWellbeing team who can offer them personalised advice to help them live a healthier life.

There are many things that affect how healthy and well a person is and as well as the health check offer, working with communities the YorWellbeing service will:

  • provide advice and support on lifestyle factors such as healthy eating, exercise, alcohol and smoking
  • encourage positive lifestyle and behaviour changes
  • work to improve the health and wellbeing of York residents
  • work to reduce health inequalities across the city.

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Healthwatch York under review by York Council

The Healthwatch organisation will be reporting to a York Council meeting on Wednesday about their role.

The report comes a few months after the local NHS Vale of York CCG asked the organisation to leave the health bodies governing board.

This led some to wonder whether the “voice of patients” was being properly heeded by the health commissioning body.

Other wondered whether Healthwatch had sufficient gravitas to be effective?

No doubt more will become clearer on Wednesday

The latest contract for Healthwatch was issued by the York Council as recently as April. The contracts value is £575,000 over 5 years. It was let via York CVS

The contract states, “Healthwatch York is for anyone who uses or who wishes to use adult and children’s health, social care and public health services in York – or anyone who cares for or represents individuals who have access to health, social care and public health services in York.

Healthwatch York has a duty to assist local health, social care and public health commissioners and providers, and other community stakeholders, by advising on and helping design engagement activity, and by providing feedback, research and information on local people’s views and experiences of health, social care and public health, in order to drive up standards of service provision.

Healthwatch York must also be able to signpost local people with any complaints they may wish to progress in relation to NHS service provision to the York Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service which has been procured by the Council under a separate contract with a provider (in a simultaneous procurement exercise) expressly for these purposes”.

Many eyes are on NHS performance these days.

Healthwatch contract

One area for improvement would involve Healthwatch pulling together each month some key performance stats. They are already available but are difficult for the average resident to find. Area to be covered might include:

  • A & E speed and quality
  • Ambulance speed and quality
  • Waiting times
  • Delayed discharges
  • GP patient volumes and appointment waiting times
  • NHS dentists waiting lists

 

Health check at Acomb Explore library proving popular

 Today’s Health Check and Boccia session at Acomb Explore Library has proved to be popular with residents

Visit www.york.gov.uk/yorwellbeing  to learn more about free health checks

Cllr Sue Hunter had her health checked out

Energise were there

& Health Watch

Muscle or fat?

Older Citizens Advocacy Group

PCSOs were there

New pilot service aims to reduce falling at home

A new scheme to help prevent people falling in their homes is starting in York by a partnership of housing, health and safety experts.

Research commissioned by City of York Council from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 2015, identified that falls in the home was a cause for concern. Typically the risk of falls was increased due to missing stair rails, uneven flooring or poor internal lighting especially for children aged under five and older persons. Clifton ward was identified as one of the wards with a higher level of risk of falls than the city average

As part of its drive to offer preventative help and improve the quality of the city’s housing, the council brought together partners including the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. With its own public health, occupational therapy and building maintenance teams, it has developed a project to reduce the risk of falls for residents in their homes.

Over the 12-month pilot, free home safety checks will be offered to residents in Clifton ward, as part of the council’s YorWellbeing Services.

An advisor with handyperson skills and an occupational therapist will request home visits and offer practical advice specific to the resident and their home. The team can make simple improvements there and then such as fitting a grab rail or fitting brighter light bulbs, or their advice could include tightening carpets or using non-slip mats under rugs to smooth out trip risks or suggesting exercises to help the resident improve their balance. They will also signpost residents to other relevant services.

To date, the findings from the BRE study have been used to revise the council’s Private Sector Housing Strategy in 2016; to attract funding from West Yorkshire Combined Authority to tackle excess cold by offering insulation grants or interest-free loans to owners or landlords; and to raise awareness of the link between quality accommodation and good health which included hosting a regional health and housing conference at the University of York.
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All eyes on investment in health budget as York NHS hits crisis

UPDATE – So not much hope for the NHS in todays budget announcement. There will be a scheme to put a supplementary GP workforce into some A & E departments next winter and there is more for social care. But Councils face a further dramatic reduction in government grants with a likely knock on effect on crisis management by either the NHS or emergency services.. 

EARLIER: Whether the Chancellor will do anything in today’s budget to help York’s cash strapped NHS services remains to be seen.

A report, being considered by the York Council today, reveals the extent of the problems facing local health services.

Currently cuts of around £45 million are expected placing additional pressures on a service which is already facing a crisis.

NHS York started off with the lowest funding per head of population across the whole region. Cuts are now expected to fall on:

  • outpatients
  • continuing healthcare
  • prescribing
  • high-cost drugs
  • elective orthopaedics (e.g. hip, knee replacement)
  • out of hospital facilities

The local LibDem health spokesperson said, “Cuts in services such as continuing healthcare and out of hospital care are not welcome news”.

“Liberal Democrats will continue to call for the Government to acknowledge the growing pressures on health services and give York a fair funding deal.”

Meanwhile the scale of the centralisation of GP surgery facilities has become clearer. Many are set to become localised mini hospitals with several in Acomb – including the now huge Priory Group which has premises on Cornlands Road – now the largest in the City.

In the Westfield Ward a “Local Area Coordinator” is being appointed by the Council to support people who may “feel vulnerable due to age, frailty, disability or mental health needs”

Interviews are currently taking place and the successful applicant is expected to start work later in the Spring.

Beds blocked at York hospital   

There is a continuing problem with delayed discharges at hospital in York. The latest figures suggest that the problem is currently worse in York than elsewhere in the region (and nationally).

Delayed discharges in York

A report to a York Council committee meeting next week makes the following comments on the delayed transfer of care;

“This measures the impact of hospital services and community-based care in facilitating timely and appropriate transfer from all hospitals for all adults. This indicates the ability of the whole system to ensure appropriate transfer from hospital for the entire adult population. It is an important marker of the effective joint working of local partners, and is a measure of the effectiveness of the interface between health and social care services.

Discharges are made from Acute and Non Acute Care Pathways.

Discharges from Acute Care Indicators are on Target. Performance has shown a steady improvement over the end of 2015-16 and into the first half of this year”.

However, “discharges from Non Acute Care: Indicators here are not on Target. Performance had shown an improvement in the first quarter, however, from June 2016, an increase in Non Acute Delays, particularly in Mental Health has pushed the numbers back up and off target for the year”.

“The overall indicator is not on target due to the effect of Non Acute Delays in the System. We are taking the learning and processes from our success in Acute Care and applying these to the Non Acute pathway. Since June a Sitrep process has been put in place to monitor delays in Mental Health to mirror that of our Acute and Non Acute Hospital processes. In other areas of the Non-Acute pathway a similar approach to monitoring”.

The effect that “bed blocking” is having on in delaying the admission of new patients requiring hospital services in not stated in the report.

Council offers free stop smoking support to help kick the habit

smoking_ceilingWant to stop smoking to mark the start of the New Year? From January 2017, City of York Council will be offering free support for all York residents to stop smoking.

The sessions come as a campaign to highlight the damaging effect smoking has on the heart by Public Health England and revealed that smoking accounts for almost 78,000 deaths a year.  Stopping smoking can save someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day over £2,500 in a year and the council is asking residents who want to stop to get in touch.

As part of the council’s YorWellbeing service, which looks to help residents improve their health and wellbeing, courses will be provided to help you to change your smoking behaviours, as well as advise you which medications to buy, if necessary.

Recent studies have found that you are three times more likely to quit with help and support and that between two weeks to three months after stopping your heart attack risk starts to drop and your lung function begins to improve.

Throughout 2017 the council will be offering courses to help residents stop smoking. The first course takes place on Wednesday 11 January from 6pm at West Offices, for more information or to book call 01904 553377. Places are limited so residents must book in advance. Following this first course, further courses will take place regularly across the city in the coming months.

If you are pregnant and smoking you are particularly encouraged to get in touch for friendly help and support to quit.  For pregnant women the council is also offering 12 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help you through stopping smoking.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “These sessions offer a great opportunity for those wanting to stop smoking to get specialist advice and support. Quitting smoking can have huge benefits on health and wellbeing as well as save residents a lot of money, anyone interested in these courses can call 01904 553377.”

Anyone looking to stop smoking is asked to call 01904 553377 or visit www.york.gov.uk/stopsmoking for more information.

Have your say on York’s health and wellbeing strategy

Residents across the city are being asked to comment on a draft joint health and wellbeing strategy for the city for the next five years.

York’s Health and Wellbeing Board is inviting people to comment on the draft joint health and wellbeing strategy to ensure that it reflects people’s views and suggestions and that it includes the principles and actions that are most important to improving health and wellbeing in the city for the next five years.

The draft strategy is focused around:health-and-life

  • Mental health and wellbeing – getting better at spotting the early signs of mental ill health and intervening early
  • Starting and growing well – support for the first 1001 days, especially in vulnerable communities
  • Living and working well – promote workplace health and remove barriers to employment
  • Ageing well – reduce loneliness and isolation for older people.

The aim of the strategy, which will run between 2017 and 2022, is to help every single resident of York enjoy the best possible health and wellbeing throughout the course of their life. This will be done by:

  • Promoting greater independence, choice and control
  • Building up community based support
  • Supporting self care and management
  • Greater use of early help though targeted/short term interventions
  • Imaginative use of new technology.

The draft strategy draws on extensive engagement with stakeholders and residents, which saw over 1,200 suggestions received about health and wellbeing in York earlier this year, and a variety of evidence including the city’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The JSNA provided a comprehensive assessment of the health and wellbeing needs in the city.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board said: “This strategy looks to set out the priorities and the focus for investment for the city’s health and wellbeing over the next five years.

“We want everyone in York to have their say on the draft strategy which looks to increase confidence and the resources to play their part in improving health and wellbeing for all our residents.”

To comment on the draft joint health and wellbeing strategy visit www.york.gov.uk/consultations. All views are welcome and the consultation closes on Sunday 22 January 2017.

Suicide levels in York – Council acts

antidepressants_suicide A Council meeting will also assess a five year audit of suicides in the city, between 2010 and 2014 which looked at all deaths in York in which the coroner concluded that it was death by suicide.  The audit was conducted in line with national guidance in order to enable better understanding of the pattern of suicide in the city.

The findings highlight the fact that the number of suicides in York is above the national and regional average and looks to inform suicide prevention work and activities and feed into a future suicide prevention plan.

Recommendations on suicide prevention which will be discussed at the meeting will include:

  • ·        Work towards achieving formal ‘Suicide Safer Community’ accreditation
  • ·        Develop a suicide prevention framework for York
  • ·        Undertake a regular programme of suicide audits
  • ·        Develop ‘suicide surveillance’ and real time ‘early alert’ processes to improve the multi-agency response
  • ·        Provide more responsive support arrangements to those affected by suicide
  • ·        Ensure that those people who are affected by suicide are able to have their views and experiences heard

The report follows a conference held last month which launched an ambition for York to be a Suicide-Safer community and part of a Mental Health Friendly County.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board said: “Suicide devastates the lives of individuals, families and communities. This audit and meeting will look at how we as a city can improve our suicide prevention work and better support our residents. It is important that we talk about suicide and that as a council we continue to work with partners across the city to prevent suicides.”

Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health at City of York Council said: “Every suicide is a tragedy and City of York Council takes the issue of suicide and preventing deaths by suicide very seriously. This audit, which is in line with national best practice, reviews every death between 2010 and 2014 where the coroners outcome was suicide. The audit provides an opportunity to discuss suicide prevention and find areas where we as a city can improve the support available, which will feed into our suicide prevention plan, and I would like to thank officers and partners who supported this work.”
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Council welcomes physical activity figures which rank York as the best in the country

City of York Council has welcomed figures showing that York has the highest percentage of adults in the country doing more than 2½ hours of physical activity each week.Jogging

Figures released by Public Health England* show that in 2015 69.8 percent of adults in York do over 150 minutes physical activity each week. The statistics are much higher than the national average which currently stands at 57 percent.

In 2013 the York Council surveyed residents about health and fitness. At that time 44% said that they undertook 30 minutes of exercise each day. An increase to over 80% would be astonishing. The Council did not include the question in the last "Talkabout" panel questionaire the results of which were published in June

In 2013 the York Council surveyed residents about health and fitness. At that time 44% said that they undertook 30 minutes of exercise each day. An increase, in 3 years, to over 80% would be astonishing. The Council did not include the question in the last “Talkabout” panel questionnaire, the results of which were published in June

The statistics also highlighted that York had the lowest percentage of people achieving less than 30 minutes of physical activity with 17.5 percent of adults being the lowest in the country. This is much lower than the national average which stands at 28.7 percent.

The figures also showed that York had the highest percentage of adults in the country who cycle at least once a month at 34.2 percent.

The news comes after the hugely successful Sky Ride York which saw over 10,500 riders take part in a traffic free ride through York’s historic city centre.

Councillor Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Leisure and Culture said:

“It is encouraging to hear that York is outperforming the country and that a large proportion of York’s adults are exercising for more than 150 minutes a week. These results are testament to the work done by the council’s sport and active leisure team with partners across the city to help more people in York be active.

“Physical activity can have so many benefits for your health and can also be great fun, as seen with the recent Sky Ride event which was hugely popular. Hopefully such events and these figures will inspire more people to take up sport or join groups so even more people in the city are active for longer.”

People who have a physically active lifestyle have a 20-35 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who have a less active lifestyle.

Regular physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and colon/breast cancer and with improved mental health.