Health Strategy

What is Health?

The health and well being of communities is influenced by many factors. This can include whether there are facilities to enable people to exercise and have access to green and open space, whether the local environment is safe and clean, whether people live in homes which are warm and properly maintained and whether they have sufficient income to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Staffordshire County Council: Strategy for Healthier Communities

In June 2005, Staffordshire County Council launched its strategy to improve public health. This was in response to the government's Choosing Health Public Health White Paper, and in recognition of the important public health role of the County Council. In so doing, the County Council formally adopted the statement given below as its ambition for the public health of Staffordshire, namely:

'To improve health outcomes and narrow health inequalities through promoting healthy choices and tackling the key determinants of poor health.'

The County Council's Health Strategy is based on the 7 key themes of the Government Choosing Health White Paper and describes the County Council's role and commitments in tackling these:

Barriers to change
Health Inequalities
Healthy Eating
Mental health and well-being
Physical Activity
Sexual Health
Substance Misuse: Alcohol and drugs
Tobacco

Download Staffordshire County Council's PDF File icon Strategy for Healthy Communities

The Public Health Role of the County Council

Given the complexity of tackling health inequalities, it is essential that local authorities understand how they contribute to the health and well being of the community they serve. For example, local councils can help to improve public health in the following ways:

As a corporate body which promotes social, economic and environmental well being, uses its community leadership role to influence opinions and attitudes and promotes the well being of its workforce
As an enabler which plans the infrastructure to create a healthy environment and helps to develop and regenerate the local economy
As a regulator which implements controls over the environment, housing, health and safety in the workplace and anti social behaviour
As a commissioner and provider of services e.g. leisure and cultural facilities and activities, collection and disposal of waste and street cleaning

The County Council's Health Strategy is informed by its public health role as an organisation and its role in addressing the underlying determinants of health and to respond to the Governments 'Choosing Health' white paper.

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The Wider Public Health Workforce

The Choosing Health Government Public Health White Paper

The County Council produced its Health Strategy in response to the Government's Public Health White Paper. The government published a Public Health White Paper delivery plan in March 2005. This placed an expectation on the national health services and local government to 'co-deliver' improvements in health and reduce health inequalities.

Last Modified: 21/02/2007 15:27:11
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