Members of the public, service users and local health care providers, came together recently to hear how The Sheffield Health & Wellbeing Board plan to tackle health inequalities in the city.

The event saw over 120 people turn out to hear from Sheffield Director of Public Health Dr Jeremy Wight and to have their say, giving valuable feedback to help inform the plan which is part of the Board’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Dr Jeremy Wight said: “Sheffield has stark inequalities in health between different groups of people and areas of the City. People in the most disadvantaged parts of the City still experience a greater burden of ill-health and early death than people in less disadvantaged areas.

“In September 2013 Sheffield’s Health and Wellbeing Board agreed a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which aims to tackle these inequalities. This event was an opportunity to meet Board members, and help shape the Action Plan that will convert the Strategy into changes that will make a difference in our communities.”

Dr Zak McMurray, Sheffield GP and Clinical Director at NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “Tackling Health Inequalities is a clear priority for NHS Sheffield CCG and we are working closely with the Health and Wellbeing Board and other partners to address these important issues and to reduce health inequalities in the city.”

There were table top discussions at the event which gave people the chance to hear about an area of interest to them and to feedback their thoughts and ideas around each part of the plan.  The following areas were covered during the event:

• Building emotional wellbeing and resilience
• Making Sheffield smoke-free
• Reducing drug- and alcohol- related harm
• Continuing to prioritise and focus attention on cancer and cardiovascular disease
• Developing understanding around health inequalities
• Helping supportive communities to develop
• Building health-promoting neighbourhoods
• Improving access to services
• Ensuring a good start in life for children
• Assisting ‘new arrivals’ to Sheffield
• Improving our medical services for those with a learning disability or mental health condition

Healthwatch Sheffield is now holding an event following on from the Health and Wellbeing Board’s event for interested people, groups and organisations. The Health Inequalities Discussion Forum takes place on Tuesday 17th June, 2.30 – 4.30pm at The Circle, Rockingham Lane, and will be a further opportunity to hear from Dr Jeremy Wight, to explore Health Inequality in Sheffield and feed findings back to the Health and Wellbeing Board, for the Health Inequalities Plan.

If you are interested in attending this event or would like to find out more, please contact Healthwatch on 0114 2536688 or email: info@healthwatchsheffield.co.uk

If you have not been able to attend either of these events but would like to give feedback please fill in the online survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/tacklinghealthinequalitiesinSheffield.

For more information and to keep up to date with the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board visit https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/caresupport/health/health-wellbeing-board or follow https://twitter.com/SheffieldHWB.

Additional information

• There is a seven year life expectancy gap between men living at opposite ends of the 83 bus route
• Infant deaths in Sheffield are above the national average and rising
• Between the most and least deprived wards in the city there is a four-fold difference in infant mortality rates.
• There are noteable differences in life expectancy between those with mental health problems or learning disabilities and those without.