Public Health Intelligence News

National Child Measurement Programme

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception Year (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-11 years) within state maintained schools.

Please see the Children and Young People section of the Intelligence Network for Wiltshire's Small Area analyses based on 2010/11 data. The report provides a local breakdown by Community Area, Children's Centre, deprivation and gender.

Child Health Profiles - 2012

The Child and Maternal Health Observatory has updated is Child Health Profiles for 2012.  Profiles are available for each top level local authority in England. Each profile is available as a 4-page PDF report which can be easily downloaded and printed.

Updated annually (last updated March 2012), each report includes:

• A snapshot of performance against 32 selected indicators compared with the rest of England.

• Analysis and key findings about the situation in each top level local authority.

• A summary of performance for each local authority in the region.

Wiltshire’s 2012 profile can be downloaded here.

Profiles for other areas and more information is available on the Chimat website.

Wiltshire’s Knowledge Management meeting – March 2012

The latest Knowledge Management group meeting was held on March 13^th and was attended by 16 staff from 5 different public sector organisations in Wiltshire.  The agenda is available here and copies of presentations/updates given at the meeting are available on request from Aimee Stimpson (tel 01380 733808 email: aimee.stimpson@wiltshire.nhs.uk)

JSNA Economics

On 1^st March a regional workshop for the South West was held in Taunton to explore the use of Health Economics in Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.  The session covered a range of issues and the programme and presentations are available to download here:

• What is Health Economics? What tools could be use within our JSNAs?

• What do health economists do?  Some examples of work

• How does health economics feed into the local commissioning process now

• The Bristol Experience of using health economics in a JSNA

• Health Economics info in JSNAs: What A Local Authority Commissioner would like to see?

Have your say on children and young people's health outcomes

The Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum is gathering views from children, young people, parents, carers, doctors, nurses and other professionals involved in providing care to children on the health outcomes that matter most for children and young people and how the different parts of the health system will work together to deliver these..

It wants to hear views on four particular areas:

• acutely ill children

• mental health

• children with disabilities and long-term conditions

• public health

How to take part:

• get involved in conversations on these 4 issues on above website

• send private comments using the feedback form on the website

• email: childrensoutcomesforum@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Views and comments are invited up to 30 April 2012.

Average house price methodology

We have changed our data set and calculation method for the average house price in Wiltshire. The Department for Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) land registry raw data will be used instead of the house price index (HPI). The land registry data set includes information with regards to auctions and repossessions, two items the HPI does not include. The data set is updated quarterly and is publicly available. The data can also be sourced at a sub-Wiltshire level. 

For more information see the Economy section of the Intelligence Network. The two paragraphs located underneath the Wiltshire Strategic Economic Assessment 2007/08 document explain the new calculation method. The Wiltshire Economic Assesment factsheet for Average House Prices will soon be updated to reflect the new method.

Learning disability profile for Wiltshire

The Learning Disabilities Observatory has produced health profiles for local areas.  They are intended to be used by planners in health services and social services.  They are also interesting for self‑advocates and family carers. They try to show

• How many people have learning disabilities,

• How healthy they are,

• How much health care they get,

• How well social services are looking out for them.

• They show how one area compares with others.

The Wiltshire profile is available here.

Profiles for other areas and more information is available on the profiles section of the learning disabilities website.

South West Public Health Observatory newsletter

The latest issue of SWPHOcus, the South West Public Health Observatory's newsletter is out now and accessible here.

In this issue:

• update on the latest SWPHO reports and products - including the new Injury Profiles for England

• round-up of new indicator sets/profiling tools from Public Health Observatories in England

• forthcoming changes to the Urological Cancer Hub

Plus public health and cancer intelligence news from around the region and nationally.

Joint Strategic Assessment for Health and Wellbeing 2011/12

The Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA) for Health and Wellbeing 2011-12 for Wiltshire was published this month and provides a summary of the current and future health and wellbeing needs of people in Wiltshire.

The main report, executive summary and extensive appendices are all available on the Joint Strategic Assessment for Health and Wellbeing page of the Intelligence Network.

Please note that the dedicated JSNA website will not be updated with the 2011/12 version and will cease to exist from around August 2012.  All documents from previous years are available on the Intelligence Network.

Alcohol admissions report for Wiltshire

Alcohol misuse is a key public health challenge.  Efforts to reduce harm must be at the centre of the new public health system.  Addressing alcohol misuse will support local efforts towards improving health outcomes, promoting community safety and reducing health inequalities and social exclusion.

A new report “Alcohol Attributable Hospital Admissions in Wiltshire” from the South West Public Health Observatory provides an enhanced understanding of the populations being admitted to hospital due to alcohol in Wiltshire.

To accompany this report a briefing 'Responding to the challenge of alcohol related harm in the South West' has also been published and together they form an important resource for all those involved in planning and commissioning a range of alcohol services and interventions.

Lastly, a frequently asked questions document has been produced to answer some common queries.

Scientific Conference

The 2012 Public Health Scientific Conference was held on Wednesday 1st February at the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare.  The Scientific Conference offered a unique opportunity to showcase both service and university based public health research and evaluation from across the South West.  The event promoted debate and new learning across the full range of public health disciplines in the South West and was attended by a wide range of public health academic and service professionals throughout the region, including those working in the NHS, local authorities, educational institutions, business and the community and voluntary sector.

Two members of Wiltshire’s Public Health team presented at the conference:

Kate Glyn-Owen on marriage and mortality.

Karoline Harding on compliance with guidelines on prescribing obesity medication.

Posters presented by staff from the South West Public Health Observatory are available from their website.

All the presentations are due to be made available online soon.  In the meantime the programme and abstract and poster lists can be downloaded from the conference website.

National End of Life Care Profiles updated

The End of Life Care Profiles present data on place and cause of death, by age and sex, for each local authority in England.  They are produced by the South West Public Health Observatory on behalf of the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network.

The Profiles have recently been updated with 2010 data. Other changes include: improvements to the tool display, addition of a data download facility and definitional changes to bring the tool in line with Office for National Statistics reporting.

View the latest version of the End of Life Care Profiles here.

To see what’s changed – download End of Life Care Profiles 2011 - What's changed.

To provide feedback on the changes and how the Profiles are being used, please either email information@neolcin.nhs.uk or use the online feedback form.

Finding the evidence sessions

The Library & Knowledge Service, at the Bath Royal United Hospital Academy Library, is continuing to offer informal training in using the wide range of electronic evidence resources available to all RUH, RNHRD, NHS Banes, Sirona & NHS Wiltshire staff & students on placement.  Please see this flyer for more details about these sessions.

For further information or any questions about the sessions or about how the Library & Knowledge Service can support your staff & students please do not hesitate to contact Jason Ovens using the contact details below or visit the website.

Library & Knowledge Service Manager                                                                                                                                                                       Academy Library                                                                                                                                                                                                              Royal United Hospital                                                                                                                                                                                                       Bath, BA1 3NG

01225 824897 

Jason.Ovens@nhs.net

Health Protection profiles

Wiltshire’s Health Protection profile is available on the Health Protection Agency website.

A snapshot is provided along with a range of interactive maps.  They cover a range of different indicators including:

• MMR vaccine coverage

• HPV vaccine coverage (girls aged 12-13 years)

• Incidence of skin cancer; tuberculosis

• Percentage of establishments compliant with food safety and notifications of food poisoning

• Rate of laboratory confirmed cases of gastrointestinal disease

• Uptake of the pneumococcal and influenza vaccines

• Hospital admissions due to asthma

• Diagnoses of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis infections

• HIV prevalence and new diagnoses

Registering with the Profiles allows access to customisable data tables and extraction of data used in the map.

Bath Research and Development (BRD) Spring 2012 newsletter

Bath Research and Development acts as a consortium providing research management and governance services to the Primary Care Trusts of BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire (East, West and North locality).  The Consortium is an established partnership between three local Primary Care Trusts and the Department for Health at the University of Bath.  The Consortium also has active links with the Research and Design Service and with research staff at local charitable organisations, including Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME), the Research Institute for the Care of the Elderly (RICE) and the Bath Centre for Pain Research. The Primary Care Trust partners in the Consortium are Bath and North East Somerset PCT, Swindon PCT and the North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire localities of the new Wiltshire PCT.

Here is the BRD Spring newsletter which will shortly be available on their website.

Note that there is also a new website listing current research projects that require volunteers.

Joint Strategic Assessments (JSAs) for Community Areas

A reminder that the JSAs for all 20 Community Areas along with executive summaries have been published and are available to download here.

 The Joint Strategic Assessment for Health and Wellbeing (previously known as the JSNA) is on course to be published in February.

Plain packaging campaign

A campaign to support the introduction of plain packaging on tobacco packs has been launched with the support of Smokefree South West and many other health-related organisations.  To pledge your support or to find out more information please visit the Support Plain Packs website.

Wiltshire Healthy Schools website

The Wiltshire Healthy Schools website is a resource provided by Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire to support schools effectively address the health and wellbeing of children and young people.  By using the whole school approach of the Wiltshire Healthy Schools Programme, and by teaching effective Personal, Social, Health and Economic education, schools can build on previous developments to actively promote learning and healthy lifestyle choices.  Support provided aims to build the capacity of schools to deliver effective and sustainable interventions for all children.

The website contains information on the latest Wiltshire Health Related Behaviour Survey.

Contact nick.bolton@wiltshire.gov.uk and sarah.king@wiltshire.gov.uk for further information

Slope Index of Inequality (SII) for Wiltshire

The Slope Index of Inequality is a single score which represents the gap in years of life expectancy between the best‐off and worst‐off within the local authority (LA) or primary care trust (PCT) area, based on a statistical analysis of the relationship between life expectancy and deprivation scores across the whole area.

The London Health Observatory and East Midlands Public Health Observatory (on behalf of the Public Health Observatories of England) have published health inequality indicators for each local authority and primary care organisation (PCO) in England using the SII for life expectancy at birth for 2001-05 to 2006-10.

A summary sheet for Wiltshire for 2006-10 is available here:

Over the five-year period of the publication of this data the inequalities in Wiltshire have grown.  For males the SII has risen from 4.3 in 2001-05 to 6.6 in 2006-10 and for females it has risen from 2.0 in 2001-05 to 3.8 in 2006-10.  However, it should be noted that this rise is not statistically significant and that the gap in England overall is also rising according to this methodology.

For more information please visit the Association of Public Health Observatories website.

LARIA/HSUG Winter Seminar

The LARIA (Local Authorities Research and Intelligence Assocation) / HSUG (Health Statistics User Group) Winter Seminar and Learning Event was held on 7^th December.  The theme of the event was NHS and Local Government Intelligence - Sharing Skills and Information for the Future.

Presentations from the day can be downloaded on the LARIA website.

Communities of Practice

The Communities of Practice website is a community platform supporting collaborative networks for those involved in local delivery: central departments, local authorities, other public bodies, frontline staff, health staff, and people working in charities and the private sector who are in some way delivering to the public.

 There are a number of public health related communities that are free to sign up to including the National Learning Network for Health and Wellbeing Boards; ONS Regional and Local Statistics; Raising the bar in JSNA and strategies; Community Hub and Healthy Communities.  It is also possible to set up your own community, for example to highlight work taking place in Wiltshire.

Publication of Community Area JSAs

Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments (JSAs) have now been produced for all 20 Community Areas.  They are available to download using the link below along with executive summaries which distil the information from over 100 pages down into 8.

The Community Area JSAs represent the next major development in the JSA programme and are a key step in the journey toward a full understanding of the needs of Wiltshire's population.  These important documents set out the strategic issues for community areas based on local level data, information and knowledge.

These assessments are being presented to local areas at community events.  The first of these was held in Melksham by the Community Area Board and Community Area Partnership.  The meeting was well attended, by over 100 local residents, and it is hoped this will be replicated across the county.  In Melksham the information from the assessment has been shared locally and used in the revision of the community plan.

The documents are available on the Local Area Assessment page of the Intelligence Network (follow this link and then click on Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments).

South West Public Health Analyst meeting presentations

Public Health analysts and intelligence specialists from around the South West meet quarterly to share information and good practice and discuss emerging issues.  The presentations from the latest meeting (6^th October 2011) can be downloaded from here.

The presentations cover diverse subjects: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment update; Child and Maternal Health Observatory news; take up of schools lunches and an acuity audit of hospital beds in Devon to explore ‘winter pressures’.

Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) statistics for Wiltshire

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), is a voluntary annual reward and incentive programme for all GP surgeries in England and is part of the GP contract.  Clinical disease registers (part of the framework) can be used to calculate disease prevalence estimates (either based on the total population or specific age groups).

A summary of these prevalence statistics by GP Practice and for Wiltshire compared to other PCTs, the South West and England can be downloaded below:

Indices of Deprivation (2010) atlas

The Office for National Statistics has produced an interactive tool to explore the Indices of Deprivation 2010.  Data for any of the 7 domains or the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation can be viewed for any local authority.  Users can set their own classification, number of classes and colour scheme.

Winterwatch

Winterwatch is a website that brings regular updates from the Department of Health about how the NHS is coping with the increased demands on its services in the cold winter months.  It also offers practical advice on keeping well when the weather is very cold.  It also includes links to key data and statistics and which will be updated regularly.

The Met Office has launched a cold weather alert service to raise awareness of the impact cold weather can have on health. The Met Office’s latest quarterly newletter also contains information on some of the cold weather related services which they provide. Users can sign up to receive the health newsletter here.

Joint Strategic Assessment for Health and Wellbeing 2011-12

Watch this space for the latest update to the re-named JSNA!

15th South West Public Health Residential School

The 15th South West Public Health Residential School was held on 21-22 September 2011 at Dartington Hall, Totnes.  Many of the presentations from this event are available to download from the SWPHO website.

The plenary debate: Public Health Advocacy: Policy, Politics and Professional Practice is also available to watch online here.

Additionally the October newsletter (SWPHOcus) from the South West Public Health Observatory can be downloaded below.

Health Inequalities Gap Measurement tool

The Health Inequalities Gap Measurement Tool (the ‘gap tool’) is an accessible, web-based resource providing detailed information on the nature and extent of the health inequalities gap within and between all Local Authority and NHS areas in England.  The tool is available on the SEPHO website.

Charm Offensive - Cultivating civility in 21st Century Britain

The Young Foundation have recently published the report “Charm Offensive - Cultivating civility in 21^st Century Britain” which is about civility: how we behave towards each other, and what might be done to influence this.  It includes research from 3 case study areas one of which was the 3 market towns of Devizes, Salisbury and Trowbridge.

Environment profiles

The all-new 2011 Local Environment Profiles produced by the South West Observatory's Environment Module and Environment Agency are now available from the South West Observatory website. These profiles bring together data about a host of environmental topics from climate change to farming, water quality to waste management.

Profiles for Wiltshire and also the former districts of Kennet, North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire and Salisbury can all be accessed here, and are also available to download on the Environment page of the Intelligence Network.

NHS Information Centre’s new Indicator Portal

All indicators from the Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base (also known as NCHOD and the Compendium of Population Health Indicators) and the Local Basket of Inequalities Indicators, are now available on the NHS Information Centre’s new Indicator Portal.

The population health indicators currently in it can help you to:

• Compare the demographic profile of your local area with other regions and national averages
• Understand what the population health challenges are in your area and how they may be changing over time
• Explore the diverse range of factors that influence health inequalities
• Build a picture of the current state of health inequalities in your area
• Inform annual health reviews and equity audits
• Provide measurements for service planning, performance management and other success criteria

Who can access the data?

Unrestricted data is available to anyone on http://indicators.ic.nhs.uk

Restricted data is only available to NHS users through an N3 connection on http://nww.indicators.ic.nhs.uk

Public Health Annual Report 2010-11

Maggie Rae is delighted to present the Joint Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for the fourth time.  The themes for this year’s annual report are the big killers of cancer, CVD and respiratory disease.  The report also contains updates on progress against other Public Health programme areas.

Child Poverty Assessment finalised

The Child Poverty Bill 2010 sets in law the governments commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.  Under the bill, local authorities are required to undertake a local child poverty needs assessment and produce a local child poverty strategy.  Wiltshire’s final assessment (2011) can be accessed here

Income inequality report

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a report entitled “Does income inequality cause health and social problems?”  Inequality grew dramatically in the 1980s and has remained at a high level ever since.  But should high levels of inequality concern us?  This report provides an independent review of the research, paying particular attention to the evidence and arguments put forward in The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, in which it was argued strongly that we should indeed be concerned about income inequality.  This report reviews the points made in various critiques that have appeared since The Spirit Level was first published in 2009, alongside the evidence and debate in the broader peer-reviewed literature.

Diabetes Footcare Activity Profiles

The Diabetes Footcare Activity Profiles have been developed to provide information on the inpatient care of people with diabetes who are admitted to hospital for a range of footcare conditions.  They are designed to allow those involved in the provision of this care to appreciate the scale of activity and relate this to similar trusts across England.  The data used is from the Hospital Episode Statistics database and covers three years of inpatient care between 1st April 2007 and 31st March 2010.

Further information can be found on the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory website

Alcohol profile for Wiltshire

The 2011 update to the Local Alcohol Profiles for England has been released by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO).  The profiles contain 25 alcohol-related indicators for every Local Authority and 22 for every Primary Care Trust in England. As well as local area data on alcohol-related hospital admissions and alcohol-related crime, the 2011 profiles include new experimental data on levels of abstainers in each Local Authority and the proportion of drinkers who drink at lower, increasing and higher health risk levels.

The profile and more information is available from the Adults and Older People page of the Intelligence Network

Tobacco Control profile for Wiltshire

Local Tobacco Control Profiles were developed by the London Health Observatory (LHO) on behalf of the Public Health Observatories in England.  These profiles provide a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level.  They have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations.  They will inform commissioning and planning decisions to tackle tobacco use and improve the health of local communities.

Wiltshire's profile and more information is available below from the Adults and Older People page of the Intelligence Network

Wiltshire and Community Area Population Estimates and Projections 2001 to 2026: Trend-based

This document provides estimates of population in Wiltshire Unitary Authority and community areas of Wiltshire for 2001 and 2009.  It also provides projections of these same elements for individual years from 2010 to 2016, 2021 and 2026.  Figures are given for both key variables including age structures as well as components of change.  The projections presented in this document are “trend-based”.

Wiltshire County, at mid-year 2010, had a projected total population of 458,890 people.  The county's population is set to grow by 51,410 persons over the next 16 years to 2026, a projected increase of just over 11%.  Low birth and death rates have continued in Wiltshire County and these low rates are projected to remain roughly equal and constant.

The Wiltshire and Community Area Population Estimates and Projections 2001 to 2026: Trend-based report, as well as separate Excel files containing the population data tables for each area, can be accessed at from the Population and Census page of the Intelligence Network

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA)

Chances of living to 100

Children and Young People in Wiltshire Needs Assessment

NCMP Community Area report

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an annual programme (begun in 2005/06) which measures the height and weight of children in Reception (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-11 years) within state maintained schools.  The Community Area report details the analysis of the 2009/10 NCMP data for Wiltshire at Community Area level and the comparison of the 2009/10 figures against the 2007/08 and 2008/09 figures.  The report can be downloaded from the Children and Young People page on the Intelligence Network

Tomorrow’s Voice Survey (Spring 2011)

The Tomorrow’s Voice Spring 2011 survey results are now available on the consultation page of the Intelligence Network

There were two sections with particular relevance for Public Health: Drugs and alcohol and Vulnerable Adults.  The findings from these sections include: 

• 2/3rds thought it was ok to start drinking before the age of 18.

• Young people were more likely to think under-age drinking was a problem in Wiltshire or England than in their own town.

• 29% thought under-age drinkers got their alcohol from strangers and 58% from parents - note this is the perception not actually where young drinkers said they got their alcohol from.

• Punishment rather than pricing is seen as the more effective way of preventing under-age drinking.

• There was an appreciation that a wide range of circumstances can make an adult vulnerable.

• Only 7% would not tell anyone if they saw a vulnerable adult being abused.

• Some young people are very worried about reporting abuse especially in relation to what may happen to them.

 Healthy lives, Healthy People – update and way forward

This document (see below) sets out the Government’s vision for a public health system that places local communities at its heart. It will have a clear focus on prevention and reducing inequalities and will work across Government to address the wider social determinants of health. The publication provides further detail to enable local authorities to further develop public health plans in their area.  It follows a three month consultation on the Government’s plans for a reformed public health system.

The publication sets out progress in developing the new public health system, including:

• Clarifying the new leadership role for local authorities and their directors of public health, across health improvement, health protection and population health advice to the NHS;
• Proposals for commissioning public health services;
• Establishing a new integrated public health service, Public Health England, to drive improvements in health and protect against health threats;
• Public Health England will be an executive agency of the Department of Health, to provide greater operational independence within a structure that is clearly accountable to the Health Secretary; and
• Clear principles for emergency preparedness, resilience and response.

Transforming Public Health Bulletin

Below is the first issue of the Transforming Public Health bulletin from the Department of Health which is dedicated to keeping people involved in the public health system up to date with the changes being made. It is to be a regular web bulletin available from this web page.

Adult Weight Management in Wiltshire

A recent NHS Wiltshire Commissioning Committee board report provides an overview of work that has been undertaken to audit provision of adult weight management in primary care and across Wiltshire as a whole. Please see documents below.

The report includes results from the Wiltshire Primary Care Obesity Questionnaire and Audit and also details of the current weight loss interventions in Wiltshire. These are also shown on the maps available to download below:

 Bath Research and Development (BRD) Summer 2011 newsletter

Bath Research and Development acts as a consortium providing research management and governance services to the Primary Care Trusts of BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire (East, West and North locality). The Consortium is an established partnership between three local Primary Care Trusts and the Department for Health at the University of Bath. The Consortium also has active links with the Research and Design Service and with research staff at local charitable organisations, including Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME), the Research Institute for the Care of the Elderly (RICE) and the Bath Centre for Pain Research. The Primary Care Trust partners in the Consortium are Bath and North East Somerset PCT, Swindon PCT and the North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire localities of the new Wiltshire PCT.

Here is the BRD summer newsletter:

E-coli

 The now-waning outbreak of E. coli O104 in Germany has demonstrated the need for rapid management and treatment of E. coli cases and the serious health complications that can result from this infection.  The article below discusses the implications for the UK and Wiltshire and provides guidance on avoiding E. coli infections.

2011 Local Health Profile for Wiltshire

The Association of Public Health Observatories publish health profiles for local authority areas and the 2011 profile for Wiltshire can be accessed below.  The profile presents comparative information for Wiltshire on deprivation, mortality, communities, children and young people’s health, adults’ health and lifestyle, disease and poor health and life expectancy and causes of death.

Vulnerable families’ survey – updates

In October 2010, NHS Wiltshire conducted a Vulnerable Families Survey by asking Health Visitors to complete a survey form on every family in their caseload. They were asked to report on 34 different factors and data was collected on almost 20,000 families.

Two reports based on data from this survey have been revised and re-issued since it has come to light that one GP practice was assigned to the incorrect health visiting team.

Breastfeeding Strategy

The Draft Wiltshire Breastfeeding Strategy has been developed using an evidenced based approach and analysis of breastfeeding initiation and prevalence data.  It is now out for consultation until 2^nd September and can be viewed online at http://www.wiltshire.nhs.uk/Public/Have-your-say/Consultations.htm and people are invited to comment via an online questionnaire (see link on the same page).  The link also provides information on accessing hard copies of the strategy and/or questionnaire should people prefer.  For those for whom internet access is difficult a copy of the strategy and consultation questionnaire are also available on request by phoning 01380 733918.

Falls Awareness Week

Falls Awareness Week was held between 20-24 June.  Every year, around one in three over-65s living in the community and one in two people aged over 85 will have a fall. The consequences can be devastating, both physically and emotionally. Falls can cause loss of function, mobility, independence, confidence, and in many cases even death.

Falls Awareness Week 2011 promotes activities and projects that help prevent falls in later life - from walking stick M.O.T.s and quizzes, to strength and balance exercise sessions.

View: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/national-falls-awareness-week/%20?

Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?”

The Centres for Disease Control and Protection are there to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!

View: http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp%20?

Transforming Health in Wiltshire

Over recent months the Government's Department of Health has issued a number of plans and proposals for significant changes to the way in which health services will be delivered in the near future.  Find out more on the NHS Wiltshire website.

http://www.wiltshire.nhs.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Transforming-health-in-Wiltshire.htm

Select Committee Inquiry into Public Health

The House of Commons Health Select Committee is holding an inquiry into Public Health.  It has issued an invitation to submit written evidence and has also been hearing oral evidence.

Childhood Obesity

Data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for pupils attending Wiltshire primary schools has been analysed.

Reports at Community Area level and for Children’s centre catchment areas are available on request from:

Tom Frost (Tom.Frost@wiltshire.nhs.uk or 01380 733808)

Becky Simonds (Rebecca.Simonds@wiltshire.nhs.uk or 01380 733808)

The Community Area reports show the results for both Reception and Year 6 for the 2009/10 data and compare these with the results for both 2007/08 and 2008/09. 

Results for individual schools often contain small numbers and will be communicated directly to schools.  Please contact Mike Jones (Mike.Jones@wiltshire.nhs.uk or 01380 733808) for further information.

HPA Profiles

Health Protection Agency launched Health Protection Profiles for local areas in England in September 2010).  The Health Protection Profiles comprise of a range of communicable disease and environmental hazard indicators designed to provide healthcare professionals with information to better enable the identification and targeting of relevant local health protection issues, improve the quality of health and inform local public service planning.

To go straight to a snapshot of Wiltshire data and interactive maps contained detailed data for the county please use this link http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListDate/Page/1278943962970

The HPA is current holding an evaluation survey and health-related professionals can complete it using this link https://www.hpa-surveys.org.uk/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=98K1568.  Please note that the public part of the survey accessible via the website has now closed.

Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments

Following on from the Wiltshire Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA) similar documents are being produced for each Community Area.  They will follow the structure of the main document and have 8 thematic sections, one of which is Health and Wellbeing.

A range of indicators have been selected to summarise the health issues in each area and to highlight significant issues.  A briefing note was circulated to the Health Improvement Partnership detailing the indicators chosen and the selection process.

The Community Area JSAs are due for publication in the autumn after a consultation period with Area Boards.