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National and Local Strategies

Page Last updated 18-12-2008

Supporting info.

The Department of Health has a program of action to tackle and reduce health inequalities in Britain which includes

Our NHS, Our Future includes the vision to create a fair NHS where focus is on improving access to health and social care services for people in disadvantaged and hard-to-reach groups and those living in deprived areas.

Health Inequalities - Progress and Next Steps outlines the Government's approach to hit the 2010 Health Inequalities targets, assessing what has and hasn't worked, and setting the direction of travel beyond 2010.

Tackling Health Inequalities a Programme for Action sets out plans to tackle health inequalities over the next three years. It establishes the foundations required to achieve the challenging national target for 2010 to reduce the gap in infant mortality across social groups, and raise life expectancy in the most disadvantaged areas faster than elsewhere.

Regionally

Better Health, Fairer Health is the area's first ever health and well-being strategy which aims to make people living here the healthiest in the country within a generation.

Local

The Health Improvement Strategy for Newcastle has identified that we must reduce health inequalities by bringing life expectancy and premature mortality in Newcastle to the level of the rest of the country.

It prioritises the actions that addresses the underlying factors and lifestyle behaviors that directly improve physical, mental and social health. To achieve this, various areas of activity have been identified in the Department of Health White Paper: Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier:

  • improving mental and emotional wellbeing
  • reducing obesity (through diet, nutrition and physical activity)
  • improving sexual health
  • reducing accidents
  • reducing the number of people who smoke
  • reducing the harm from alcohol and drugs.