Health and wellbeing strategy delivering for Wakefield District

The impact of a key plan to improve people’s lives across Wakefield District has been revealed at July’s meeting of Health and Wellbeing partners.

The Wakefield District Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2025 aims to improve the mental and physical health of all residents in the district, regardless of their background or stage of life.

The strategy describes how partners – Wakefield Council, the NHS, voluntary and statutory organisations among them – have worked with local communities to take action in four priority areas:

• A healthy standard of living for all
• Giving every child the best start in life
• Prevention of ill health
• Sustainable communities

The 2024 annual report was presented to a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board today and reveals where progress has been made.

Highlights include the community-based ‘Help at the Hub’ which has provided support to people during the cost-of-living crisis, with Citizens Advice staff based in the nine hubs having secured income gains worth £1.7m for more than 1,500 local residents.

Elsewhere, an emotional wellbeing service for children and young people was launched in April last year and there has been a gradual decline in the number of children and young people needing support from higher tier mental/emotional health services.

There have also been significant improvements in the number of people in the district who smoke, through targeted smoking cessation activity and coordinated action to prevent illicit tobacco sales. This has resulted in smoking rates which have traditionally been higher in the district than nationally, coming into line with the national average.

The Council and NHS are also funding a Healthy and Sustainable Communities programme, focused in the 10 most deprived communities in the district. The first phase has been completed in four of the areas.

Work has started on the second phase of rolling out the programme to Eastmoor and Knottingley and there are plans to start in Featherstone, while engagement with stakeholders in the final three areas – Whitwood, Lupset and Hemsworth – will begin this summer.

The Wakefield District Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024 Annual Report can be read in full online.

Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty and Health, said:

“We want everyone in the district to enjoy the best possible mental and physical health regardless of where they are born, live, grow, work and age.

 

“By working together as partners in a joined up way with our communities we are working towards this goal.”

Melanie Brown, Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership Director System Reform and Integration, said:

“Our priorities are based on what local people have told us is important to them about what helps them stay well, as well as the detailed information about the district’s population.

 

“We want people across the district to lead healthier, happier lives. We are encouraged by the progress we have made so far and want to develop our plans even further as we head into the final year of our strategy.”

The Health and Wellbeing Board meets every other month and members of the public are encouraged and invited to attend. More details can be found online.