Survey will assess St Helens' biggest health challenges (From St Helens Star)

Survey will assess St Helens' biggest health challenges

8:27am Monday 24th September 2012 in News

WHAT are the biggest health and wellbeing issues we will face going into the future... tackling obesity, reducing alcohol and drug harm or just making sure our youngsters get the best start in life?

That’s what a new St Helens Health and Wellbeing Board is focusing on... and it wants your help in making sure it’s got its priorities right.

In a major shake-up for the borough, the council is taking over some areas of responsibility from the Primary Care Trust.

To help move this forward the new board is being set up... and it wants Star readers to have an input by taking part in a special survey.

One of the board’s first tasks will be to produce a Health and Wellbeing Strategy for St Helens.

And this is where you come in. The board is inviting residents and other stakeholders, such as voluntary and community organisations to tell it whether you think the issues that have emerged for discussion are the correct priorities for St Helens.

The strategy will focus on prevention of ill health, supporting people to stay well and independent and improving quality of life.

The board includes councillors, GPs, voluntary sector and council officers and will determine the commissioning priorities of the council and new GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups to shape services for the future.

The Health and Wellbeing Board have undertaken an assessment of health and wellbeing across St Helens to identify the most pressing challenges facing the borough.

Some of the key topics include:

• Making sure children get the best start in life through good maternity care and services for young children.
• Support for young people in the transition to adulthood by encouraging healthy lifestyles, reducing alcohol consumption and self harm.
• Tackling obesity for all age groups
• Promoting good mental health and wellbeing across all age groups
• Reducing the harm caused by alcohol
• Improving early detection of long term conditions such as diabetes and helping people to manage their conditions effectively.
• Reducing the number of unnecessary hospital admissions by making sure people can access health and care services at the right time
• Support for people with dementia and their carers.

Councillor Sue Murphy, Cabinet Member for Public Health said: “I hope as many people as possible will take the time to complete the survey so we can get a very true picture of what residents would like to see under the new health agenda.

"This is a very exciting time and a real opportunity to tailor a public health service to the needs of local people.”

The consultation is open until October 26 and the online survey should only take a few minutes to complete.

It is available on the council's consultation suite http://applications.sthelens.gov.uk/ConsultationSuite and further information can be found at http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/health