Wakefield District: Reducing Healthcare Inequalities best practice and collaboration the focus of system-wide event

More than 150 people from across Wakefield District’s health and care system came together to discuss ways to reduce health inequalities recently.

The Reducing Healthcare Inequalities Community of Practice event, held at the Salvation Army in Castleford, saw partners meet to discuss strategies and best practice during a day of learning and collaboration.

Data shows that generally people in the Wakefield District will die younger than in other parts of the country and will spend more years of their lives in poor health.

Healthcare inequalities are an important aspect of wider health differences – with 20 to 30 per cent of health inequalities in Wakefield District estimated to be caused by differences in access to and experiences of healthcare as a whole.

Those in attendance at the Community of Practice event heard about a wide range of work taking place in Wakefield District to tackle inequalities.

Among the presentations was information on:

• Health inclusion data
• A life course approach to dementia
• Blood pressure wellness
• Digital inclusion
• Health access for Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities in Wakefield
• Increasing uptake of Annual Physical Health Checks for those with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness
• Vaping research – Findings of a qualitative study with young people
• Evaluation of a Stop Smoking pilot Incentive Scheme for routine and manual Workers
• The Stop Smoking Service Relaunch and health inequalities outreach
• The Straight-Talking Project: Breaking down health literacy barriers

Thanks to all those who attended and presented.