Health inequalities team publishes resource manual

The health inequalities national support team (HINST) has published a resource manual containing a range of information, resources and tools, including a series of 'how to' guides and 'masterclass' reports. The manual has been built around good practice identified from the visits undertaken so far, that are expected to make an impact on mortality in a short timescale if delivered at a sufficient scale. The manual can be downloaded from the DH website.

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National online debate: 'Community Health Champions'

If you have an interest in community empowerment in health and well-being, you may be interested in contributing to the following national debate.
The Altogether Better Programme is working with the Department of Health and the Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA) to provoke a national online debate around ‘Community Health Champions’. The debate will begin on the 15th of June and last for four weeks.
This debate will explore the scope and potential of building the capacity and confidence of individuals to become ‘Community Health Champions’ through voluntary activities to improve the health and well-being of their own communities. If the outcomes of this work not only improve the use and design of health services, but also sustainably improves health and well-being, why is this approach not systematically integrated into the way we deliver health and well-being services in this country?
It is hoped this will help to gather evidence on the scale and scope of activities across the country and help to develop a framework for moving to a situation where Community Health Champions are genuinely understood and valued by decision-makers and integrated into the way we tackle health inequalities in this country.
To help to ensure this debate is useful and moves forward, a wide range of contributions will be required. This could involve a commentary or adding a document/paper to the site. Community Health Champions, participation leads, officers, delivery agents, strategic commissioners, elected members policy-makers and academics are all welcomed to take part. Once the debate is finished, the information will be used to shape a national event in November. All contributors will receive a free invitation to this event.
This is a real one-off window of opportunity to raise the profile, understanding and support for one of the key potential contributors to unlocking the challenges around reducing health inequalities and civic participation. Please pass on this email to your relevant networks and mailing lists as appropriate.
To join the Communities of Practice, please visit http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/, click on ‘register’ and enter your details as requested. Once registered, search for ‘healthy communities’ and apply to join the Healthy Communities Communities of Practice. If you have any difficulties in registering please contact Katrina Cottrill Katrina.cottrill@idea.gov.uk.
The 'Community Health Champions' discussion forum will start on Monday the 15th of June and continue to the 15th of July.
If you have any general queries, please contact: Roz Davies (Altogether Better Programme Director)Email: roz.davies@yorksandhumber.nhs.uk

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Addressing health inequalities: what works? A Conference from the Kings Fund

In the recent NHS operating framework, the government identified the reduction of health inequalities as one of its five national priorities. As 2010 approaches, the focus is on achieving the health inequalities target for infant mortality and life expectancy at birth by placing the reduction of these inequalities at the centre of service delivery, disease prevention and partnership work.
This important partnership conference organised by The King's Fund with the Department of Health's National Support Team for health inequalities and their Health Inequalities Unit. It will focus on areas involving key local stakeholders in which intervention and change will have the most effect in reducing health inequalities. The conference will feature practical workshops that will share success and learning from existing projects and allow delegates to consider how best to apply methods and interventions to reduce inequalities in their own area. The event is being held on Thursday 14 May 2009, 9.30am–4.15pm, in Leeds so book your place now!

Health Inequalities Intervention Tool

This tool is designed to support Primary Care Trusts with their local delivery planning and commissioning. It builds on the previous Health Inequalities Intervention tool which provided information for Spearhead areas only, and now includes all local authorities, spearhead and non-spearhead, and provides information on within as well as between area inequalities. This tool provides information on the following: the current life expectancy in each local authority, and in the most deprived quintile of each local authority; the current gap in life expectancy between the most deprived quintile and the local authority as a whole for all areas, and between the local authority and England for spearhead areas; an analysis of the contribution of causes of death to the gap between the most deprived quintile of the local authority and a variety of comparators.