Tackling Inequalities Together: BCUHB Leading from Front

In North Wales, over 80,000 people live in areas that are amongst the most deprived in Wales.

In working towards improving the health of the North Wales population, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB has taken positive steps in the establishing Well North Wales to work collaboratively with relevant organisations to address health inequalities, and to improve the health of the poorest fastest.

Aim:

The initial intention of the project was to introduce a small scale project in designated areas, but the appetite to develop robust multi-agency partnerships has seen the Well North Wales initiative take off dramatically.

Well North Wales provides a framework for local communities and organisations to work together to improve health and wellbeing, with the aim of reducing inequalities through creating independent individuals, resilient families and stronger communities.

Planning and development:

The past 12 months have seen innovative approaches to partnership working, drawing together themes around homelessness, employability, community resilience, as well as more traditional health and wellbeing centres.

Some examples of this are:

• Developing a health and wellbeing centre on the site of the old social club at Shotton – supporting a broad regeneration, social enterprise and employability programme;

• Adding to the health precinct at Eirias Park (below) in Colwyn Bay;

• Developing a health and wellbeing centre in Bangor, “putting health and wellbeing on the High Street” through linking in with economic, housing and business regeneration plans;

• Developing an NHS strategic and operational response to food poverty; and,

• Developing an innovative social prescribing programme.

Partners:

BCUHB, Bevan Commission, Care and Repair, Communities First, County Voluntary Councils, Leisure Services, Housing, Social Services, Private Sector, Primary Care, Public Health Wales, Outdoor Partnership, 2025 Movement, Welsh Government, Universities

Outcomes:

The programme is still at an early stage, but has set the strategic scene for tackling poverty and health inequalities:

• Focus on the most deprived communities of North Wales, aiming to improve the health of the poorest fastest;

• Community priorities established;

• Creating new ways of partnership working through co-production; and,

• Needs identification to feed into the strategic planning cycles.

Fit with Prudent Healthcare:

• Establishing specific programmes to achieve health and wellbeing with the public, patients and professionals as equal partners through co-production;

• Targets communities with the greatest health need first;

• Aiming to reduce inappropriate variation using evidence-based practices consistently & transparently.