Local Agenda 21 (LA21)

9. Health and Sustainability

9.1 People and their health are central to sustainable development. Good health enables people to lead fulfilling lives and play an active and productive role in society. Preventable ill health and premature death carries a very high cost in terms of personal suffering and a society's ability to develop. The protection and promotion of public health should be a primary goal for any society. For any plan for sustainable development to be successful, it will need to take account of this human dimension.

Social Model of Health

9.2 For a community to be healthy it is not enough to have effective medical services and to educate individuals to protect their own health. Proper emphasis needs to be given to those social, economic and environmental factors that influence people's health such as poverty, unemployment and inequality. The current medical model which encourages high dependence upon health services therefore needs to be balanced by a more sustainable approach which gives proper emphasis to these wider social and environmental issues.

Healthy Life Expectancy Unchanged

9.3 In general people are living longer today than ever before (4 years more for men and 3 more for women gained between 1976 and 1992). But healthy life expectancy (the number of years of healthy life people can expect) has remained unchanged over the last two decades.

9.4 Extra years of life gained by older people are often extra years with a disability, not extra years of healthy life. Future years will see an increase in the numbers of older people, including frail elderly people, as a percentage of the population. Linked to this will be an increase in the number of people with disabilities. This will have implications for the whole community including carers and services.

Other Health Issues and Current Trends

• Although over the years the average life span of Tameside residents has increased significantly, the health of the local population is about 25% worse than the national average.
• Common causes of death within Tameside include coronary heart disease and forms of cancer such as lung and breast cancer. Rates of long term illness are also very high. Children's dental decay is amongst the worst in the country. Problems relating to drugs and alcohol are on the increase.
• There are significant inequalities in the health of local people depending on where they live and their economic and social circumstances. For example in communities and areas of the Borough where there is multiple deprivation, there is a greater prevalence of certain health conditions such as long term illness and heart disease. Such is the case for instance in Ashton St. Peter's and Hattersley.

What is Currently Happening?

• A very wide range of agencies and local people are making a contribution to improving health within the Borough. Listed here are but a few key initiatives.
• Tameside Carers Centre (provides information, advice and support to people who look after other people).
• Joint Purchasing and Commissioning Group (a multi-agency group responsible for ensuring appropriate health and social care services are available).
• Community Health Projects based on partnership working in Ashton (Asian Health) and in Hattersley.
• Regeneration initiatives include Ashton Renewal Area, Tame Valley Initiative and Hattersley Regeneration Partnership.
• New developments with 'extra care' available to meet the needs of frail elderly people such as Fairfield Court.

N.B. Joint Management Team / Joint Strategy Group / Joint Purchasing and Commissioning Group: These groups form part of the inter-agency planning system for health and community care.