Stoke-on-Trent City Council identifies five priorities to tackle health and wellbeing in the city

Health experts have advised of the challenges in Stoke-on-Trent as a Directors of Public Health annual report highlights areas for future focus.

The report which was shared at a council cabinet meeting today, reflects on priorities for improving health in the city. Within the report, health experts have outlined the critical challenges Stoke-on-Trent faces to tackle health and wellbeing issues.

The report highlights five priority areas for action which are:

• Cost of living – The last two years have seen high inflation, with increased costs of essentials such as food, housing and fuel stretching household budgets.

• Infant mortality – The rate of deaths in the first year of life remains very high in the city.  This is linked to higher rates of premature birth and low birth weight, among other causes. There are a range of modifiable risk factors which could improve these outcomes, such as avoiding smoking during pregnancy.

• Health inequalities – The burden of poor health is not evenly distributed, with factors such as deprivation, age and ethnicity resulting in different or greater need in some groups.

• Physical inactivity and obesity – Child and adult incidence of overweight and obesity remains high, with below-average levels of physical activity.

• Premature (under-75) deaths – The city has a high rate of under-75 (‘premature’) mortality from a range of causes, such as cancer, CVD and respiratory diseases. Along with wider determinants such as deprivation, this reflects above average incidence of smoking, alcohol and substance misuse in the city.

In 2023 work was started and is still ongoing to tackle inequalities and combat the ongoing cost of living crisis. Through the ‘help is at hand’ campaign the council alongside local partners are harnessing specialist knowledge and expertise, promoting a partnership approach that ensures people know what support they can access and how to do so. People across Stoke-on-Trent can access cost of living support at www.stoke.gov.uk/helpisathand.

Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “Our city is one of the most deprived areas within the country and this has not been helped by the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis.

“As a city council, we are working closely with our partners in the NHS to agree and implement key actions to reduce health issues in the city. This includes work to address risk factors associated with infant mortality including help to reduce smoking in pregnancy (which has reduced significantly in the city in recent years), increase breastfeeding rates and raise awareness of higher-risk situations such as co-sleeping. A key area of support is our growing Family Hubs network, providing a range of support services for families in one location. We have also recently announced our enhanced Family Support Offer, using £1.5 million from the Public Health grant, which will further invest in preventative and early intervention services in Stoke-on-Trent, to support children and families.

“Ultimately to make improvements on these five key health and wellbeing issues, collective action is needed from individuals, communities and partners in the city. In our budget proposals we have included a record budgeted investment into adult social care as part of a proposed increase in spend on children’s services, adults’ services and public health to £192.1m. We have already started to take collective action and by doing this further we can create healthier, happier lives and make Stoke-on-Trent an even better city in which to live and work.”

This report comes as the council las month launched their draft plan on how the authority will work over the next four years to improve the wellbeing of residents through a series of key commitments that will tackle inequality, share wealth and support a better standard of living.

Residents are now being urged to have their say on these priorities. People can submit their feedback via an online questionnaire at www.stoke.gov.uk/ourcityourwellbeing.