New strategy to tackle health inequalities and low life expectancy tabled at first health board meeting

A new health board for Cambridgeshire wants to improve life expectancy by two years before 2030 and improve healthcare for minority groups.

During its first meeting, the new NHS Integrated Care System set up this month, along with the Joint Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Health and Wellbeing Board, discussed a new, single approach for improving residents health and wellbeing.

One of the main topics on the agenda also included the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on certain groups of people – including children.

‘Exacerbated inequalities’

Discussing the new ‘Health and Wellbeing Board, Overarching Strategic Approach 2022-2030’, Jyoti Atri, director of Public Health, said inequalities have come to light since the pandemic, which must be tackled.

She said: “Covid-19 has exposed, and exacerbated inequalities through the differential impact of the pandemic on our black and ethnic minority communities. Those living in our most deprived areas risk a long-term impact particularly on their mental health with children and young people most at risk.

“Our health service is under enormous pressure, and the way that people access health care and preventative health care has changed, but we need to make sure this doesn’t widen inequalities because the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated inequalities that already existed. Children have been disproportionately affected by pandemic control measures, which is likely to have long term consequences.

“This is why we need a totally new ‘Health and Wellbeing Board, Overarching Strategic Approach 2022-2030’, and while we recognise there will be other priorities across the system, the Combined Authority, the Integrated Care Board, the Public Service Board, and district local authorities and other organisations, will all have their own sets of priorities and plans, this ‘overarching’ strategic approach sets out our headline ambitions and the priorities we will focus on to achieve these ambitions.”

Boost life expectancy

By 2030, the Integrated Care System wants to see a healthy life expectancy increase by at least two years for men and women in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

It will also review weakening of the relationship between wealth and early preventable deaths so that people in the least well-off areas in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are less likely to die young.

And, it shall work with parents and communities, to aim and achieve better outcomes for children, recognising their holistic needs in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

ICS are partnerships of organisations that have come together to plan and deliver joined-up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area.

Following several years of locally led development, recommendations of NHS England and passage of the Health and Care Act (2022), 42 ICSs were created across England on a statutory basis on 1 July 2022.

After Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) were set up, this resulted in the old Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) being closed down.

The ICB were asked to approve the ‘Health and Wellbeing Board, Overarching Strategic Approach 2022-2030’, which is open for consultation with Healthwatch Peterborough, other community organisations and the people who live and work in the system, from 15 July 2022 until 15 September 2022.

The date of the next meeting is Friday, 9 September 2022.