Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Regional Social Strategy – the strategy to achieve social inclusion throughout the East of England
The implementation plan stresses the importance of PCTs working with local authorities to deliver the white
paper through local strategic partnerships and local area agreements.
Local area agreements (LAAs)
An underpinning theme for LAAs is about reducing inequalities in health through interventions which include
both health care and broader determinants (SO6: 11).
LAAs have some mandatory indicators to improve community cohesion. They also have indicators to reflect
the needs of some socially excluded groups such as those with mental illness and the elderly, depending on
local needs. There is a mandatory indicator on reducing inequalities in health in terms of ‘all age all cause’
mortality rates.
Valuing People: a new strategy for learning disability for the 21st century
The Government published its white paper, Valuing People, in 2001. Valuing People recognises rights,
independence, choice, and inclusion as key principles for services for learning disability and recommends
that the services need to be tailored to individual needs.
Gypsies and Travellers
Since Traveller poor health has been identified as one of the biggest areas of health inequalities in the region
(A Review of the Health Needs of Gypsy Travellers in the East of England, GO-East, 2006), Government
Office and the Regional Public Health Group have undertaken to champion Traveller health issues, lead
on the spread of good practice and continue to raise the profile of existing gaps in information needed for
monitoring Travellers’ health. This will be achieved through the local area agreement process, working in
partnership with the voluntary and community sector (SO6: 11) and by influencing the single issue review
of Travellers’ sites for the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Climate change
Climate change poses a global health threat through an increased incidence of:
• heat-related deaths and illness
• food poisoning
• injuries during storm events
• air pollution
• skin cancer.
(Climate Change and Human Health: risks and responses, World Health Organisation, 2003)
In the East of England in particular there is an additional increased risk of flooding, due to its large low-lying
areas. Flooding leads to disruption and displacement of communities and increased risk of disease and injury.
Vulnerability to these impacts of climate change will depend on a range of factors including population density,
existing health status, age and socio-economic status.
For this reason The Regional Health Strategy, Healthy Futures (EERA, 2005), identifies the need to
‘understand and plan for the impacts of climate change and the more sustainable use of resources
within the region, in terms of health and health inequalities issues’ (SO6: 9).
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