Benefiting from an established and mature group of experienced and knowledgeable stakeholders, Erewash Neighbourhood Alliance shares its footprint with Erewash Borough Council. The area is naturally split into two significant communities with the large market towns of Ilkeston to the north and Long Eaton the south. Around 70% of the borough’s population lives in these towns.
For many years in Erewash, people and organisations having been working hard together to transform the way health and social care is planned and delivered. Around 30% of Erewash’s residents are aged over 65 and projections suggest that the area will see an estimated further 58% increase in over 65-year-olds by 2039. Increasing life expectancy in the 21st century is a sign of successful treatment and care services, as well as individual’s self-care. One challenge faced it that unless increased life expectancy is accompanied by good health, Erewash’s older population will require greater levels of costly care.
Although Erewash does have a lower-than-average deprivation score compared with the national average overall, it contains four of the very most deprived small neighbourhoods in Derbyshire. These fall within the 10% most deprived areas in the county. As a whole in Derbyshire, people in the least deprived areas are expected to live on average seven years longer than those in the most deprived areas, and in better health throughout their lifetimes too.
Erewash Place-Primary Care Network (PCN) Alliance Group has a distinct focus on prevention interventions and on improving primary and secondary care. Addressing health inequalities means reducing the gap between total and healthy life expectancies, the greatest gains are seen by targeting those worst off. This is why Erewash PCN, which comprises 13 separate GP organisations, is working together with Neighbourhood Alliance partners – who include the acute trusts, community, voluntary and faith organisation, charities, mental health and well-being service provides, adult and children’s social care services, public health, pharmacy, and the local council – to improve the quality of life for all residents.