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| Archive February 2008 New childhood Immunisation Schedule 2006 Inaugural All-Ireland Health Intelligence Conference Big Lottery funds make a big difference on health Updated EHSSB Infant Feeding Guidelines developed Healthy Ageing Action Plan for Eastern area New physical activity prgramme is just what the doctor ordered! Tender processes for services to support NSD on Alcohol and Drugs Air Quality Action Plan for Belfast launched Exercise Delilah tests pandemic flu contingency plan Board response to drugs and alcohol strategy consultation Directors of Public Health report data available together online Monitoring of health promotion targets in the EHSSB area DHSSPS announces £3M investment to reduce respiratory disease Board states low risk after meningitis cases "Breaking the cycle seminar" Meeting the needs of substance misusing parents and their children Drugs and alcohol small grants funding information seminar
26th
September 2006
From 4th September 2006, the routine childhood immunisation programme changed with the introduction of a pneumococcal (new-mo-cock-al) vaccine. Pneumococcal infection can cause pneumonia septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis). For more details go to www.dhsspsni.gov/index/phealth/public_health_childhoodimmunisation.htm 18th
August 2006
In a pilot being carried out over the summer period, the 'Reclaiming Playspace' project is empowering local communities to create safe, quality, outdoor play experiences for children and young people within their community settings. Focusing on traditional street games, the Eastern Physical Activity Co-ordination Group in partnership with Playboard and the North and West Belfast Community Sports Network, are encouraging children and young people to take ownership of their local environment and to 'reclaim' community spaces for leisure and play. Using a dual approach, play workers facilitate outdoor street play sessions. At the same time, training is provided to community leaders, volunteers and parents to enable them to take a more active role in facilitating outdoor community play sessions. The pilot will be evaluated in the coming months and the scheme is one element of plans and initiatives aimed at meeting the priorities for action under the Fit Futures report on food, activity and young people. For more information, contact the EHSSB Physical Activity Co-ordinator at kkensett@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk
Inaugural All-Ireland Health Intelligence Conference 7-8 November 2006 The Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin
Significant changes in the delivery of health and social services, and the health intelligence function, are occurring, both North and South. Organised by key agencies across the island, this conference will explore what is meant by health information/intelligence and focus on the practical issues associated with its development and translation into better policy and practice.
The conference has been designed to inform, to stimulate and to encourage participation. It will run over one and half days, and will include:
Tel: +44 28 90648494 Enquiries should be directed to The Institute of Public Health in Ireland: Lindi Gatchell Tel: +353 1 4786300 Email:
lindi.gatchell@publichealth.ie
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June 2006
The Eastern Board has played a very active role by helping to co-ordinate a diverse range of health improvement projects that were made possible during the last three years under the Big Lottery Fund. These have been formally and independently evaluated – and have been proving successful. The outcome of this evaluation is the subject of the seminar which takes place at Malone House in Belfast on 8th June 2006.
The Big Lottery Fund has been providing resources to help many organisations set up projects and schemes aimed at improving health and tackling social deprivation. The projects embrace a vast scale of activity and include those that:
This important process has required the Board to work in partnership with many organisations – large and small – to establish individual projects, manage their funding, and evaluate their work. The 2006 evaluation of the Big Lottery Funded umbrella grant scheme is available from the publications section of this website.
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June 2006
The EHSSB Infant Feeding Guidelines have been updated to provide clear and consistent guidance on infant feeding which is scientifically sound and evidence based. The original guidelines were produced in 1991 and revised in 1996. Further developments in good practice and advice have since taken place and the new publication aims to improve the nutritional health of children under one year of age by providing clear and consistent advice on infant feeding in the EHSSB area. The guidelines have been coordinated by the Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service on behalf of the EHSSB.
Nutrition in the early years of life is a major determinant of growth and development in childhood and it also influences adult health. The EHSSB Infant Feeding Guidelines should be seen as a positive step towards maximising the nutritional health of children.
The guidelines are available from the publications section of this website. More information on breastfeeding is available in the Breastfeeding section of this website.
Also recently developed is a set of nutritional guidelines for residential and nursing homes for older people and those providing community meals. These guidelines have been developed by a joint working group from the four Health and Social Services Boards in Northern Ireland and provide an accessible, evidence informed resource for daily use by staff. The guidelines focus on the importance of nutrition, nutritional screening and menu planning.
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June 2006
Important new plans that aim to improve the quality of life – and health and social services – for older people during the next 10 years have been launched. The plans are contained in three separate documents being jointly launched by Belfast Healthy Cities and the Eastern Health and Social Services Board.
These documents are available in the Older People document section of the website.
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June 2006
From 6th June 2006, Health Professionals in the whole of the Eastern Board area - GPs, Practice Nurses, Specialist Nurses and Therapists, can refer patients to a health and fitness improvement programme known as Healthwise. North Down and Ards have now joined the rest of the Eastern Board area in offering this programme - at Ards, Comber and Holywood leisure centres.
Under the scheme, patients who meet a specially developed criteria, aimed at tackling health issues in the local area, will be eligible for a modest 12-week programme of physical activity - free of charge – being run through specially trained staff in each of the three centres. Patients with a range of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, respiratory illness or heart conditions are among those most likely to benefit from the scheme.
The scheme has been devised through the Eastern Physical Activity Co-ordination Group partnership, involving the Eastern Board, North Down and Ards Borough Councils, the Ulster Community Hospital Trust - backed up with financial support from the Big Lottery Fund.
The scheme is officially launched on 6th June 2006 at Ards Leisure Centre where all the partner organisations and local health professionals will be represented.
"This is one of the first scheme of its kind here in North Down and Ards, and is aimed at helping people take tentative steps towards an improved level of fitness and better health," explained co-ordinator David Tumilty.
"We're aiming to help people set and achieve very modest objectives that involve such activities as walking, swimming or the unlimited use of gym facilities," he said. "We simply want to help people feel better and healthier - competitive fitness is not our aim," he added.
"The health benefits of physical activity are now well proven and of life-long benefit," continued David Tumilty. "Moreover, people can take their first steps towards better fitness at any age”, he added. Further details on the scheme are available for health professionals and patients by telephoning David Tumilty, Healthwise coordinator on 028 9055 3663.
9 May 2006 Organisations are being invited to tender for the provision of services to support the Drug and Alcohol Coordination Teams in the implementation of the New Strategic Direction on Alcohol and Drugs. Organisations who wish to tender for these services are required firstly to register at the following link: www.csarss.net/procurementware/supplier_site Following registration, tender specifications on the following areas can be accessed:
8 May 2006 In August 2004, Belfast City Council declared four Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) across the City associated principally with pollution from road transport. Since declaring the air quality management areas, Belfast City Council has been working with range of partners including the EHSSB to develop an action plan, which will improve air quality within the AQMAs to a level which will meet both National and European targets. The completed Belfast City Air Quality Action Plan was formally launched by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Wallace Browne on the 2nd May 2006 in Belfast City Hall. The Belfast City Air Quality Action Plan can be downloaded here. In developing the Belfast City Air Quality Action Plan, a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was completed on a draft version of the plan. The HIA sought to identify how the final Air Quality Action Plan measures could be refined to maximise their health benefits but also considered whether any needed to be distorted to minimise negative impacts on the population. The management team and the steering group of the Air Quality Action Plan HIA included representatives from the EHSSB’s Department of Public Health. The Health Impact Assessment report can be downloaded here.
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May 2006 A major desktop exercise to test the Northern Ireland Pandemic Influenza plan was recently organised by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. 'Exercise Delilah' brought together the DHSSPS, health boards and trusts and other public sector organisations that have been involved in planning for an influenza pandemic. Exercise Delilah was designed to explore the different phases of a possible influenza pandemic and test existing plans and responses so that in the event of a pandemic, the health service would be better able to cope under the increased pressure. A report will be prepared and the lessons learnt from this exercise will be shared with all relevant organisations to allow plans and arrangements to be improved.
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April 2006 The new five-year strategy, aimed at reducing alcohol and drug related harm, was launched for consultation in February 2006. The EHSSB has prepared a response to the DHSSPS on this consultation document highlighting concerns regarding the need to address the continued funding of initiatives developed from the current strategy which have been shown to be effective. The Board also feels that the key priorities should emanate from and be directly related to the strategic developments. Proposals for the New Strategic Direction for Drugs and Alcohol will be finalised following consultation. The consultation document can be accessed from the Department’s website http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/consultations/current_consultations.htm
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April 2006 It is the responsibility of each Director of Public health in Northern Ireland to produce core tables in an annual report. This website www.publichealthmatters.org includes information for the public health in the Eastern Board area. For the first time web versions of key public health data tables on the island of Ireland are now available together online. The initiative brings together:
These tables contain a wide range of public health information - ranging from rates of mortality, fertility, congenital abnormalities to population growth – and have supported public health practice on the island for many years. Visit www.inispho.org for more information.
4 April 2006 Monitoring of health promotion targets in the EHSSB area
A report has just been launched by the Department of Public Health Medicine and Nursing which analyses available health promotion data. The report enables the Board, Trusts, LHSCGs and other agencies and orgnaisations to monitor progress on the targets in the range of health promotion related strategies in Northern Ireland.
The information presented highlights the fact that the baseline and monitoring data for some of the targets is problematic. It is without doubt that progress has been made in achieving the targets laid out in the various health promotion strategies. What is more difficult to say is the extent to which this might be happening. This can make it difficult for individual Board, LHSCG, Trust and locality based interventions to consider development in their area and to appropriately target resources to achieve strategic targets.
For further information the EHSSB Health Promotion Targets Monitoring Report 2005 can be downloaded here. 22 March 2006 Fit Futures report launched The obesity taskforce “Fit Futures”
was set up by the Ministerial group on Public Health (MGPH) in 2004
to consider and evaluate options for tackling overweight and obesity
in children and young people. DHSSPS announces £3M investment to reduce respiratory disease Health Minister Shaun Woodward said he was investing over £3m to help people with respiratory conditions that kill over 2000 people in Northern Ireland every year. In 2003 there were 394 male deaths and 516 female deaths due to respiratory diseases in Eastern Board residents. A Healthier Future: A Strategic Framework for Respiratory Conditions', sets out a 10-year framework for preventing respiratory disease, and for improving the assessment, treatment and care for people with respiratory conditions. Respiratory disease covers a wide range of illnesses such as asthma, chest infections, sleep disorders and chronic bronchitis together with many other conditions associated with smoking, the environment and occupation.
Board states low risk after meningitis cases There have been six cases of meningitis-related illnesses notified in the Eastern Board area since the beginning of January 2006. Any risk to other people is very small and there is considered to be no link between each event. The Board has taken well established and nationally-recommended steps to minimise the risk of infection. People who have had close and prolonged contact with each patient such as family members have been given antibiotics to prevent them from passing on any infection. The Board sees around 60 cases of meningitis or related diseases each year, with many of these occurring during the current winter months. Symptoms can include nausea, muscle pain, high temperature, a blotchy rash on the skin and an aversion to bright lights. Anyone showing symptoms of this nature, and who remains concerned in any way, should contact their doctor.
"Breaking
the cycle" seminar: The Eastern Drugs and Alcohol Co-ordination Team Annual Seminar will take place on Tuesday 28 February 2006 at Stormont Hotel, Belfast. It is entitled "Breaking the cycle: Meeting the needs of substance misusing parents and their children". If you would like further information on this event please telephone Marianne Ireland on 9043 4248 or email mireland@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk
Drugs and alcohol small grants funding information seminar The Eastern Drugs and Alcohol Co-ordination Team run an annual small grants scheme with awards of up to £5,000. The funding is for organisations working within the EHSSB area wishing to undertake an activity addressing drugs or alcohol misuse. A Funding Information Seminar is being held on Tuesday 20 March 2006, 9am to 12pm at Clifton House, 2 North Queen Street, Belfast. If
you would like to register for this event please telephone Marianne
Ireland on 9043 4248 or email mireland@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk before Monday
13 March 2006. Please note places are limited.
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Eastern Health and Social Services Board Champion
House, |
 |
| “Stay
Cool in School”, a pilot programme in primary, post primary
and special schools across the area initiated by EHSSB
Oral Health Promotion Facilitators, promotes desk top access to
drinking water throughout the school day. |
| Smoking
in pregnancy increases the risk of: |
| In Northern
Ireland 3% of the population are known to have diabetes, a figure
which is expected to double in the next 8 years. Up to a further
25,000 people may have diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed. |