THEMES | Health

Our Strengths

The health of the population in Derwentside has been improving steadily; one indicator of this is increasing life expectancy over time. Average life expectancy for men and women in Derwentside is now about two years more that it was 10 years ago. However, men in Derwentside live two years less than the average for England and Wales, and women live one and a half years less.

Compared with England and Wales as a whole, Derwentside has higher death rates for the major diseases. Coronary heart disease accounts for one quarter of all deaths in the area; death rates are 41% higher than the national average. In Derwentside death rates from stroke are 42% higher than the national average. Death rates from cancer are 14% higher than the national average.

Both illness and death rates tend to be higher in the more deprived wards within Derwentside. The four wards with the highest levels of illness and death are South Stanley, Craghead, Consett South and Annfield Plain. In these wards 41% of the population live in households receiving some kind of income support. In contrast, only 17% of the population are in households in receipt of income support in the four wards with the lowest levels of illness and death (Burnopfield, Lanchester, Benfieldside and Castleside).

• The establishment of a multi-agency Health Improvement Group.

• The establishment of Derwentside PCT in April 2002.

• The Specialist Health Promotion Service, which supports the PCT and the Health Improvement Group.

• The addition of a second Sure Start Programme means that 13 wards in Derwentside are now covered by additional services for children under the age of 4 years, their families and carers.

• Successful partnership working between statutory and voluntary organisations resulting in an additional £1 million to develop healthy living centred activities.

• Significant progress has been made in improving access to primary care and hospital services.

• Local audits of care given within a primary care setting in Derwentside demonstrate year on year improvements in the management of chronic diseases e.g. coronary heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease.

• Opportunities for older people to remain at or return home more quickly following a stay in hospital have been increased by the development of intermediate care services and the number of delayed transfers of care following admission to hospital has reduced. An intermediate care team, RIACT, jointly funded by the PCT and Durham County Social Services has been established to meet the needs of older people in particular. The team of nurses, therapists and social workers provide a rapid response to urgent problems and is able to put in place health and social care packages for up to six weeks. The RIACT team works closely with the Housing Department of Derwentside District Council, particularly in relation to the provision of Careline Services, home adaptations and new assistive technology.

• More people with mild to moderate mental health problems are able to access counselling services, based in and around primary care centres, thus reducing the long term effects of such problems and the need for referral to secondary care.