Improving health and well-being is one of the priorities identified in the Sutton Plan and the Sutton Strategy. Together with our partners, the council is committed to creating a sustainable suburb by reducing health inequalities and encouraging lifestyle changes that enable people to lead healthy independent lives.
Overall the health of Sutton citizens is improving; rates of avoidable death from some cancers and coronary heart disease have declined, life expectancy has risen. Sutton citizens generally feel they enjoy good health compared with the rest of Britain.
There are however, notable differences in the rates of avoidable death depending where in the borough people live, giving rise to differences in life expectancy. The Director of Public Health's Public Health Annual Report 2005 provides an overview of population focusing on health inequalities. Each chapter follows the five themes of the National Cross Cutting Review, 2002 describing local inequalities, what works, examples of good practice, key messages and making recommendations.
Chapter 2 describes the demographics of Sutton (and Merton) using national data (Census and ONS). Chapter 3 describes inequalities in infant mortality and life expectancy (ONS and LHO data).
Chapter 4 - 6 describes inequalities based on geography (IMD 2004), Vulnerable groups (National data from IMD 2004 and ONS, Regional data from LHO, HPA and local data from DWP/Benefits Agency) and what action might be taken to address these inequalities.
Chapter 7 describes inequalities based on diseases (major killers such as circulatory disease and cancer) and lifestyle factors contributing to these.
Chapter 8 describes inequalities based on the access to and provision and quality of healthcare in primary and secondary settings
The Public Health Annual Report 2006 provides an overview of child population and factors affecting health.
Chapter 1 describes the changing demographics of Suttons children using national data (Census and ONS).
Chapter 2 describes the routine data (ONS and Census) on demography, births, deaths and low birth weight in the child population which can be predictive of future health.
Chapter 3 considers the determinants of health including child poverty and parental lifestyle factors linking this to IMD 2004 information.
Chapter 4 describes the lifestyle factors influencing child health such as smoking, obesity, alcohol misuse, incidence of teenage pregnancy.
Chapter 5 describes the factors that can influence mental well-being for children including estimated prevalence of mental health disorders among children in Sutton.
Chapter 6 describes some of the vulnerable groups of children in need of protection who are more likely to suffer from poor physical and mental health including looked after children, children with ASD, homeless, asylum seekers and young carers.
Chapter 7 focuses on educational attainment and the variation compared to measures of deprivation.
Chapter 8 focuses on oral health and access to dental services.
Chapter 9 and 10 describe use and access to secondary care and uptake of immunisations.
The Public Health Annual Report 2007 provides an overview of lifestyle issues impacting on health in line with 2004 White Paper – Choosing Health. It describes how the PCT is working with its partners to meet the objectives of the Government White Paper published in 2004, Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier. It focuses on work the PCT is doing to:
• Improve mental health and wellbeing
• Reduce obesity
• Increase physical activity
• Reduce the number of people that smoke
• Improve sexual health
• Reduce harm from alcohol
• Reduce harm from drugs.
The report uses nationally available data but recognises the difficulty with using synthetic estimates and makes recommendations to improve the evidence base based on locally collected data.
Public Health Strategy Group
Improving educational attainment, housing conditions, local environment, promoting healthy lifestyles (good diets and physical activity) and supporting the attainment of independence all promote improved health and well-being.
Sutton hosts a jointly funded and appointed Consultant of Public Health with the Primary Care Trust (PCT), and a multi-agency Public Health Strategy Group. The group has been established to ensure that the Sutton Partnership works towards making Sutton a ‘fairer’ place in health terms, tackling issues such as smoking, obesity and alcohol, promoting mental and physical well-being, and supporting people to make positive changes to their lifestyles. It is supported by a series of ‘Alliances’ focusing on lifestyle issues to implement local and national strategies. For example, the Tobacco Control Alliance contacted 4,000 businesses as part of the implementation of the Smokefree legislation and followed this with 1,800 visits to business premises. Almost 100% compliance has been achieved.
The group helped to co-ordinate Sutton's second Health and Well Being Day on 23 June 2007. The event was located in the northern wards which have a higher level of deprivation. The initiative encouraged local people to participate in sporting activities and access key health information. The day is part of a programme of activities in our more deprived wards which includes
• the Phoenix Active Pathways project which aims to reduce health inequalities in the Roundshaw Community by providing physical activity opportunities. In the last three years there have been 15,000 attendances to sessions;
• two new arts festivals which successfully targeted work with disadvantaged and marginalised groups. The festivals attracted over 1,000 people and £20,000 has been secured from Arts Council England (ACE) to extend an arts workshop programme to a further 200 people across 20 groups in the borough. ACE has ‘noted with enthusiasm’ the progress Sutton has made.
We are working with young people on health issues using youth advocacy as a tool in our approach. An example is our ‘Butt Stop’ competition, a joint initiative between the council and the Primary Care Trust. Aware that teenage smoking is an issue in the borough, schools and youth groups were invited to make films exploring the reasons why young people smoke. The competition was well received and the winners announced at an Oscar style ceremony at the Sutton Empire cinema.
All schools are now participating in the healthy schools programme and 74% of schools have been validated as healthy schools and 85% will be validated by the end of 2008. A weekly healthy eating and exercise group has been established at the Phoenix Centre, commissioned by the school nurse at Amy Johnson School, as part of our extended schools initiative. A regular cartoon strip has also been introduced to the school’s newsletter encouraging healthy living messages.
In partnership with local health care professionals, we have implemented a ‘Books on Prescription’ scheme, to motivate people with mild mental health problems to use a collection of self-help books as an alternative to medication. During 2007/08 loans from the scheme totalled 543.
We have an active Community Sport and Physical Activity Network and have engaged with the key providers of sport and physical activity across the borough to prepare a joint bid to secure £150k from the Sport England Community Investment Fund. This money will be used to deliver increased community sport and physical activity participation rates. Over the past three years 550 young people, who previously did not participate in physical activity, have participated in our ‘Street Dance’ project. This year the Sutton Street Dance group came third in the World Street Dance championships. Through another initiative, our annual ‘Participation Day’ 300 adults with learning difficulties enjoy a special opportunity to take part in various sports.
We support a vibrant Carers Centre and work in partnership to provide personalised support to carers. We have increased the range and volume of ‘breaks’ provided to carers of vulnerable adults. Options now include car maintenance, computer courses, gym membership and crèches. Since 2005/6 we have increased the number of carers supported by the flexible fund and direct payments from 92 to 178.
