Social Wellbeing
North Norfolk District Council – Health Strategy Progress Report
Key strategic priorities
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Localism of health delivery by all relevant stakeholders
Prevention of ill health and promotion of healthy lifestyles
Maintaining activity, independence and support for older people
These strategic priorities are being delivered in a range of ways:
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Led and implemented by the District Council
Through multi agency North Norfolk Health Improvement Forum
In partnership with or delivered by, voluntary, statutory and community
groups.
Current work
North Norfolk Activity Referral Scheme
Activity Referral Schemes aim to improve patients’ health and wellbeing by
promoting the mental and physical benefits of an active healthier lifestyle.
This can benefit people at risk of sedentary related illness, including poor
mental health, as well as helping people who already have a long-term
condition. Those referred are seen by level 3 qualified exercise referral
specialists, who have had specific training to help individuals find the best way
to become more physically active.
There is currently an exercise referral scheme in North Norfolk but historically,
not all GP surgeries participated in the scheme which has led to inequity for
patients. In November 2011 following encouragement from the Council, the
North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group agreed that all surgeries would
actively promote and refer qualifying patients to a North Norfolk scheme.
For a nominal weekly fee, patients meeting the eligibility criteria will be
referred to the 12 week Activity Referral scheme at one of the 3 NNDC
Leisure Centres. As well as the health and wellbeing benefits to patients, the
scheme will lead to increased use and income for the leisure centres both
during and 12 weeks and potentially afterwards as evidence shows that there
is a high percentage of people who subsequently join a leisure centre.
Other NNDC led activity programmes such as the mobile gym, Fit Together
and Work Out Project will also be promoted to participants.
Promotion of this is due to start in February
Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund
In November funding from the Department of Health was made available to
top tier authorities to reduce levels of death and morbidity by tackling the
effects of cold housing.
NNDC officers led the submission of a partnership bid with the other Councils,
statutory and voluntary agencies to identify a range of projects which would
help achieve this aim. There was a 3 week timescale from bid notification to
submission.
The bid was successful and Norfolk has received approximately £320,000 to
implement the agreed projects by April 2012.
NNDC officers are now managing 2 projects across Norfolk totalling £160,000.
Distribution of 7,000 winter warmer packs to vulnerable people and installation
of low level insulation forms a key part of this work and will continue not only
for the remainder of this winter, but also for the autumn period.
Ageing Well - Rural Isolation Project
This multi agency project led by NNDC and delivered in partnership with
Norfolk County Council and North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group
project aims to reduce the impact of rural isolation on people’s physical,
mental, social and economic health.
A local questionnaire identified one of the main issues that contribute to
isolation is a lack of information, social contact, and community activity.
In the forthcoming months the project team will be working with Parish and
Town Councils and voluntary and community groups, to look at practical
solutions to this, including use of village agents, increasing village halls’ use
and local community facilities and services.
North Norfolk Work Out Project
This 3 year health and wellbeing conservation project has been funded
through Natural England’s Access to Nature grant. Funding is due to end in
June 2012 and NNDC is actively looking at how the project can become
sustainable. Ultimately we would envisage a community group to be set up to
take on the project and have been supporting this approach.
We have recently been advised that an application for additional funding can
be made by current successful projects which have achieved outcomes, good
financial and organisational management. The North Norfolk Work Out project
meets this criteria so a bid will be submitted. If successful it will offer an
additional year’s funding, as well as funding transitional support for project
sustainability through a non-statutory provider. There is no match funding
requirement although we would expect to continue with our existing goods in
kind arrangements such as office accommodation and officer support.
Living Well in the Community Fund
An opportunity has arisen for NNDC to apply for up to £50,000 from this
prevention fund. The fund aims to prevent or delay loss of independence and
improve the quality of life for adults in Norfolk. A bid will be submitted which
meets identified need within North Norfolk and also contributes to corporate
priorities.
Local Health Service Update
NHS Norfolk
In preparation for the implementation of the forthcoming legislative changes
NHS Norfolk has recently joined with NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney to
form a “PCT Cluster”. Whilst each PCT remains a separate statutory body,
there is now one team of staff, one management team and one Board of
Directors.
The PCT Cluster is known as NHS Norfolk and Waveney; and serves just
under a million people with a combined budget in excess of £1.64 billion.
Its main role is to commission health care - planning which NHS services are
appropriate for the area and ensure they are available to patients.
From April 2013, PCTs are due to be replaced by locally-focused Clinical
Commissioning Groups, led by doctors and nurses.
Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust merged with Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in
January and has become the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust has recently launched a Wellbeing Service which can be accessed
by anyone over the age of 16 living in the Trust area needing help and
support to improve emotional wellbeing, or deal with stress, anxiety or low
mood. www.nhswellbeingservice.org or 0300 123 1503
North Walsham Memorial Hospital
The rebuild and re design of the hospital should be finished in the spring of
2012. When complete, the single-storey hospital will boast a brand new 24bed inpatient unit, an increase from the former hospital’s 16 beds. Patients
staying on the ward will have access to high-quality rehabilitation services.
The hospital will also be connected to Rebecca House, the site’s existing
outpatient unit, which already houses a number of clinics.
Cromer and District Hospital
The new Cromer and District Hospital is due to open in the autumn. It will
provide day treatment, out-patient care, minor injuries, renal dialysis and
extended diagnostic services.
The new £15 million facilities will include an ophthalmic operating theatre plus
new diagnostic services including a permanent on-site mammography (breast
screening) service, and a DEXA scanner for osteoporosis diagnosis. A brand
new MRI scanner was installed in 2010.
The Minor Injuries Unit on the ground floor will be named after Mrs Bernstein
and the Procedure Unit on the first floor of the new hospital will be named
after her sister Muriel Thoms. The Audiology Unit on the first floor will be
named after Phyllis Cox.The old Davison and Barclay ward areas of the
current hospital will be retained and refurbished for use as a permanent renal
dialysis unit with room for expansion.
Charges are due to be introduced for both staff and public car parking at the
new million Cromer and District Hospital from the July. The charging system
will be exactly the same as it is for both staff and public at the Norfolk and
Norwich University Hospital.
The charges for the public will be the same as at NNUH – Free for stays
under 30 minutes, period not exceeding 3 hours £2. A validation policy would
be in place which allows any patient whose appointment lasts longer than 3
hours to have their ticket validated for the minimum charge of £2. Renal
patients will continue to get free parking. It is hoped the public charges at
Cromer will help deter people who are not attending the hospital from using
the hospital’s car parks.
Fakenham Healthcare Campus
Fakenham’s new healthcare campus opened in December 201. The campus
in Trinity Road replaces the Fakenham medical Practice in Greenway Lane.
The campus will integrate key services for Fakenham’s growing population,
with GPs and nurses working in the same building as adult social services and
community health visitors.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley is to perform the official opening in
February.
The campus has a day surgery where minor operations can be carried out, 12
GP and five nurse consulting rooms, a dispensary, pharmacy and out-of-hours
clinic.