Starting well

For children to have a safe and secure childhood and to grow up to be resilient adults, requires building the right foundations. In Hampshire, children and young people generally enjoy good health and wellbeing and standards of educational attainment are high.

However, there are some issues that remain a challenge in the county. These include:

• one in seven children living in poverty

• the percentage of children achieving a good level of development at age five remains below the English average

• a rising number of children with complex problems.

To combat these issues a more joined up, targeted approach is needed, including:

• supporting families with multiple problems to help children thrive by focusing on socio-economic issues, educational attainment, parenting skills, as well as health related behaviours

• better co-ordination of services for children with disabilities and those requiring treatment, care and support, particularly as they make the transition into adulthood.

Healthy choices

Poor diet, lack of physical activity, being overweight and obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, substance misuse and smoking are associated with increased rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, mental ill health, dementia, various cancers and early death.

In Hampshire there are rising levels of obesity and low levels of physical activity. Reducing smoking remains a challenge and around one in five people living in the county are putting their health at risk through excessive drinking (exceeding the recommended levels for alcohol consumption). Addressing these issues requires people to be better informed about the choices they make and the consequences of their actions on their health and wellbeing. This will be done by:

• using new technologies and social marketing to reach a wider range of people

• taking a lifelong approach to education through schools, work places and targeted communities

• tackling physical inactivity and increasing opportunities to use Hampshire’s natural environment, such as green spaces.

• using existing local authority and health powers and influence to shape and transform communities into healthy places.

Living well, ageing well

The number of people who become frail, have dementia and long term conditions, such as heart and lung disease, stroke, mental ill health and diabetes, increases throughout adulthood and into old age. Most adults and older people in Hampshire do not need intensive health and social care services. Their quality of life can be enhanced by a range of social and community based support, a ’little bit of help’ at the right time and good quality joined up health and social care services when needed.

People in Hampshire are generally healthy in comparison to the rest of the South and England. However, as people are living longer, the number developing dementia is increasing and falls are the most common cause of accidental death or serious injury among older people. More adults are also living alone resulting in 26% of households in Hampshire having only one occupier.  

Tackling these issues requires a concerted effort across health and social care, local government and public health. The aim is to reduce bureaucracy and duplication and provide accessible services that improve outcomes, by helping maintain independence, choice and control of treatment, care and support. A variety of locally based action is needed to:

• reduce falls and provide timely responses when someone does fall, so that they can return to their previous level of independence

• prioritisation of prevention and early intervention to support people to take action early in adulthood to secure a healthier old age and plan for the future

• giving people choices and treating them with dignity at the end of their life

• reduce social and geographic isolation

• support people with long term conditions so that they can be partners in their own care, to improve their lifestyle behaviours and receive treatment only when needed.  

• Increased coordination of care, treatment and support across health, social care and housing, particularly for people with dementia.

Healthy communities

Health inequalities in Hampshire and nationally continue to grow and have links to the major causes of death – heart disease, stroke and cancer. There is overwhelming evidence that people’s social and economic circumstances determine their health, adoption of risky health behaviours and life chances in terms of employment, housing and access to early intervention services.

There are pockets of deprivation in every District of Hampshire. People in the most affluent areas of Hampshire are currently expected to live longer than those in the most deprived areas. In order to reduce the 4 year life expectancy gap in women and 6 years in men will require joined up partnership action across sectors including:

• ensuring early detection and management of the major causes of death

• maximising personal financial resilience and reducing fuel poverty

• take a community development approach to working with local communities and building on their existing resources

• promoting community action, local networks and the participation of people in their local communities to improve health and wellbeing