Reality of financial situation hits health and social care authorities in Herefordshire (From Hereford Times)

Reality of financial situation hits health and social care authorities in Herefordshire

8:00am Friday 5th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

HEALTH and social care authorities in Herefordshire are facing a challenging few years.

They know they have to do more for more people but in the coming weeks expect to hear about severe Government financial restraints on their cash flow.

Nevertheless they have to produce a strategy for the future and clinicians, voluntary organisations and community groups joined NHS Herefordshire to discuss how best todo that.

Their conclusions will be included in a draft plan to go before the board of the primary care trust this week but at the heart of the proposals is a determination to remove inequalities of service to Herefordshire people and to tackle the causes of ill health.

The health and life chances of two groups will get special attention: young people affected by poverty, poor diet, lack of excercise, smoking and drinking; and an increasing older population who need more care and support to live in their own homes, often in remote rural areas.

Herefordshire faces unprecedented demand to meet the needs of people with dementia, with those over the age of 85 forecast to double by the year 2026.

Ambitious targets for the next four years include closing the health gap between deprived and affluent areas as well as reducing premature deaths from cancer by 35 per cent.

The plan is to try to cut by half the levels of childhood obesity, road traffic deaths, alcoholrelated hospital admissions and to increase four-fold the number of people who quit smoking.

Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire PCT have joined forces to bring many health and social care services under the umbrella of NHS Herefordshire to cut out duplication.

Chris Bull, chief executive of both groups, said they had embarked on a radical approach to plan, purchase and provide health and social care.

“We have to streamline our administrative costs and concentrate on ensuring we have better quality services for our customers and patients, and, above all, better outcomes for the people who need them most,” he said.

Joanne Newton, chairman of NHS Herefordshire, said many of the foundations had already been laid to deliver the strategy successfully and progress was being made on many targets.

But the authority needs continued close partnership working with the council, housing groups, the police, voluntary sector and community groups, said Mrs Newton.

The draft four-year strategy will have to be approved by the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.