‘
Themed meeting – Health
Friday 11th June 2004
At Sefton House, Runcorn
Present
Sharon Petersen – Halton
Happy Hearts, Susan Ellison – Centre 8 Drama Group, Brian Miller – Halton
Crossroads, Dee Graal – Widnes
& Runcorn Cancer Support Group, Glenice Bagley –
Halton Carers Umbrella Group, Norman Paul Lloyd –
Streets Ahead, Alison Bowen – North West Division Girlguiding,
Ann Turner Culverhouse – Halton District Womens Aid
In Attendance
D East – HVA, K Marcroft – LSP,
Matt Atherton – LSP, Dr Slavomir Pawlik
General background
Karen Marcroft did not
repeat the general background as this had been done in the W&E meeting.
Health
The overall aim is to create
a healthier community and work with partners and local people to promote a positive
experience of good health, not simply an absence of disease.
Statistics show that health
standards in Halton are amongst the worst in the country and single it out as
the aspect of life in the Borough in most urgent need of improvement.
The key objectives for
Health can be found in the Community Strategy for Halton document which was
submitted to the group.
So that action to improve
health in Halton can be targeted more effectively the HSPB has commissioned an
independent research study to help us understand the underlying factors
contributing to poor health in the Borough.
Based on local knowledge and
the outcome of the joint study, the Halton Health Partnership will identify the
areas where investment needs to be focused to improve the biggest measurable
impact on health improvement.
Work under the Health
priority addresses Government floor targets in relation to teenage pregnancy
rates and life expectancy.
Questions
w
What sort of
engagement mechanisms are used within Health?
The membership of the partnership for representatives from the voluntary
sector and the Health and Community Care Forum.
The role is to engage between all forums and the PPI Forum. These are linked to the national
network. Also run consultations with the
public.
w
How do you
consult with the community? Hold
meetings and forums which represent the population of Halton and will share
this information with people. There was
consultation through interviews and the members of the public and through the
other SSP’s.
w
Are you
connected with Halton’s Healthy Living Project?
They have a link with them but are funded from the lottery money.
w
Don’t know much
about the PPI. It is difficult to reach
everybody but there are a number of other people who do consultations as well.
w
See very little
representation from the mental health sector on the membership. Daniel Seddon is
the lead on mental health so it is through his role.
w
Need to better
promote mental health more positively.
The SSP’s only have a small representation and
Daniel Seddon is the link between the SSP and the
Partnership. Slavik
said that he will come and talk to these groups and address the smaller forums.
w
Does the SSP
actually listen to what the community is saying? He said he hopes so. They have representation from the chair of
the Health and Community Care Forum and also Melissa Critchley
and Debbie Dalby.