Population Health

Introduction

We envision a future where people living in Cheshire and Merseyside are given the tools, knowledge and resources to live happy, healthy, long lives.

We want to see lower rates of deaths and harms from alcohol harm, smoking, strokes, heart attacks, suicides, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and more.

We aim to improve Cheshire and Merseyside population health outcomes and reduce health inequalities by embedding a sustainable shift towards prevention and health equity.

Why is it important?

  • Life expectancy in the subregion is lower for both men and women when compared to the national average
  • 23.3 per cent of the population live in the 10 per cent most deprived areas in England
  • Premature mortality rates from cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke and cancers are all higher than national level for the majority of areas
  • Levels of ill-health are high, with prevalence of long-term conditions higher than national levels

What are we doing?

The Collaborative is working together with the ICB in supporting the Population Health agenda by enabling system-working to:

• Provide whole-system leadership and accountability (via the Population Health Board) to strengthen prevention and address inequalities across ICS programmes and at Place.

• Address the Social Determinants of Health through the All Together Fairer programme, NHS Prevention Pledge and governance of aligned programmes

Support healthy behaviour change by: 

• Lowering the number of alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions through our Reduction of Harm Through Alcohol Programme.

• Supporting the sub-regions residents to become more physically active through the All Together Active programme

• Supporting a more joined up, coherent ICS-wide approach to healthy behaviour change and Making Every Contact Count through a Cheshire and Merseyside Prevention Framework using the MECC Moments website

• Support Cheshire and Merseyside ICS with CVD prevention

• Address healthcare inequalities by providing sub-regional oversight and accountability for NHSE Inequalities programmes; Core20PLUS5 (adults and children) as part of the Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme (HIIP).

• Strengthen the uptake and impact of screening and Immunisations in line with NHSE, ICB and local requirements.

• Use strategic intelligence to inform population health priorities and support population health management approaches across ICS programmes and at Place.

• Facilitate and enable whole system action on population health priorities through joint working with the Champs Support Team’s Communications, Workforce Development and Research and Development work streams.

Leadership

The Cheshire and Merseyside Population Health Board coordinates and enables a variety of population health schemes and initiatives for the subregion.

The Board is made up of colleagues from public health, the NHS, the voluntary sector and two local Sports Partnerships and is Chaired by Ian Ashworth, Director of Population Health for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside. Find out more about Ian here.

More information

The Strategic Lead for this Programme is Lucia Scally, Senior Public Health Programme Manager for the Champs Support Team. You can contact Lucia by emailing luciascally@wirral.gov.uk.

Project support for this Programme is delivered by Kathy Buglass, Project Support Officer for the Champs Support Team. You can contact Kathy by emailing kathybuglass@wirral.gov.uk.