Your expert guide on tackling health inequalities
Health inequalities and how to tackle them were the subjects of discussion at February’s Derbyshire Dialogue.
A panel of expert speakers – including Tracey Elder – guided the audience through examples of good practice across the Derby and Derbyshire healthcare system.
Dr Victor Jeganathan shared a toolkit that provides advice that all healthcare providers can follow. This is structured around:
- Defining the focus of health inequalities
- Understanding the data
- Adjusting pathways to ensure equity
- Evaluating action taken
- Staff development and training
Dr Jo Hall reminded the audience that in Derbyshire there is a difference of 18 years of good health people that people can expect between the most deprived and the least deprived areas.
This is measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation, which takes into account factors including income, employment, skills and living environments.
Dr Hall said that services have to adapt by tailoring solutions to tackle that inequality.
She said: “Treating everybody the same doesn’t make things fairer. What we should think about instead of making things fairer or equitable.
“For some people that might mean they need a longer appointment with a medical professional.”
Tracy Walker, diabetes education coordinator for Derbyshire Community Health Services, explained how the trust has adapted its training programmes for patients with type 2 diabetes.
This is by making the service accessible by delivering from local community venues, ensuring it is delivered to the more deprived areas, that venues are accessible to disabled people with free car parking and good public transport.
The courses are also tailored to reach South Asian groups, hearing impaired groups and young adults groups where they are delivered by educators from these backgrounds.
Additionally the course organisers work with organisations such as Live Life Better Derbyshire, Livewell, Diabetes UK, All Move in Erewash, and EX-PERT Health to identify and encourage people to attend.
Dr Alice Fenton, GP and clinical lead for Chesterfield place area explained some of the barriers to good health that she encounters on a daily basis in her clinical work.
These include factors such as transport, disability, caring responsibilities, level of education, the cost of taking up lifestyle advice and self help, and prescription costs.
She said had greatly benefited from “stepping out of my consultation room into the community”, getting to know local people and their priorities for good health.
You can watch the Derbyshire Dialogue again on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M93kaYi1VI&t=19s