| Reference Number :- | 2171 |
| Date :- | 2012/04/18 |
| Decision Maker :- | Cabinet |
| Subject to Call-in :- | No |
| Subject of Decision :- | Review of Health Inequalilties - Falls |
| Decision :- | Cabinet was made aware that on 26 March 2012 the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee had met and concluded the pilot project it had recently undertaken on scrutinising health inequalities in the District and, in particular, falls in older people (minute 45 referred). That piece of work had revealed some surprising information including:- • People fell 10 years earlier in Tendring than in other parts of the country. • 55% of all the ambulance activity was related to falls and this percentage was increasing. Many of the people seen by the ambulance service were well known to them and they had had previous falls. • 50 to 60% of people who presented themselves at Colchester hospital with falls had cognitive issues including dementia, and 50% had a history of previous falls. • Unequivocal link between health inequalities, poor health outcomes and the impact this had on the likelihood of people experiencing falls. • Projected that by 2030 Tendring would have over 18,000 people who experienced falls each year. • The many organisations involved in the falls agenda, whether dealing with prevention or response, worked in isolation and were focused very much on their small (but important) part of the process; there was clear evidence that there was no holistic approach to the issue as a whole. The Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee had thereupon decided to recommend the following actions to the Cabinet:- 1. A Falls and Bone Health Partnership Group should be formed of all organisations involved in either the prevention of, or response to, falls. 2. The Partnership Group should seek to: *Share data between all partners *Combine the individual organisations’ different falls pathways * Explore opportunities to realise better resource management * Link into the Tendring Health and Wellbeing Board * Ensure that the relevant data was incorporated in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for the area 3. GP Clinical Commissioning should form an integral part of the Partnership in order to ensure that due consideration was given to the need (and benefit) of focusing future funding on falls with the aim of allocating a larger amount of the budget on prevention rather than just responding to falls victims. 4. The Partnership Group should be led by an officer of Tendring District Council in order to demonstrate impartiality and maintain an independent angle of challenge. 5. Consideration should be given as to whether there would be any added benefit to working with Colchester Borough Council and broadening the issue across the whole of North East Essex. 6. The Partnership Group needs to set stretching but realistic targets that would: * Reflect a year on year decrease on the rate of falls which resulted in significant injury * Reduce the % of calls on the ambulance service * Reduce the cost of acute care 7. The Partnership, involving both the district and county council, should look at ways of circulating proactive information to those most at risk in the community. 8. The Partnership must identify where the accountability should rest in ensuring a seamless service is provided to the user. Having considered the recommendations of the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee:- It was moved by Councillor Stock, seconded by Councillor Halliday and:- RESOLVED – (a) That the Cabinet thanks the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee for its work and subsequent recommendations. (b) That Cabinet urges that Committee to take forward its own recommendations using whatever means they have at its disposal whilst being mindful that this was only one of six key issues suggested for scrutiny. (c) That the Regeneration Portfolio Holder establishes a working party to look at: (1) Employment and Worklessness and (2) Poverty and Low Income and to report its findings and recommendations to Cabinet in due course. |
| Reason for Decision :- | Having considered the recommendations of the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee |
| Alternative Options Considered :- | None. |
| Conflicts of Interest Delared (and Dispensations Granted by the Monitoring Officer) :- | None. |
| Contact Officer :- | Head of Corporate Services - Martyn Knappett |
| Decision to Take Effect at end of :- | 2012/04/25 |
| Attachments :- | Review of Health Inequalities – Falls (35K/bytes) |