Dudley Strategy for Tackling Health Inequalities 2010-15

tackle health inequalities in the twenty most deprived PCTs. These PCTs receivedadditional funding in addition to the Choosing Health allocations. Dudley was not aSpearhead authority.Dudley‟s response was to produce its own strategy, Closing the gap – TacklingHealth Inequalities in Dudley (Dudley MBC and Dudley PCT, 2005). This strategyreflected the current policy and thinking at the time and reflected the national targets:Starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10% thegap in mortality between manual groups and the population as a wholeStaring with local authorities, by 2010, to reduce by at least 10% the gapbetween the fifth of areas with the lowest life expectancy at birth and thepopulation as a wholeAt the time of writing it seems that we are unlikely to have achieved these targets.2010 data is not yet available but the gap in life expectancy has not narrowed overthe last ten years and may in fact be increasing slightly.Three local priorities were chosen based on national evidence for what works, localneeds and views expressed by the community.The priorities were:Reduce povertyDevelop a joint anti-poverty action plan that maximises the potential for all agenciesto reduce povertyOutcomesAn anti-poverty strategy was produced in 2006/07 and has been implementedin partTobacco controlSupport and implement a „smoke free generation‟ programme in Dudley with a focuson deprived areasOutcomesThe smoke free generation programme has been very successful and has madesubstantial progress in:Reducing exposure to second hand smokeReducing tobacco promotion by enforcing legislationEnsuring compliance with relevant tobacco regulation legislationReducing availability and supply of illegal tobacco productsStop smoking services have increased and have focused on deprived areas,vulnerable groups, pregnancy and the early yearsSuccessful media campaigns have been implemented and evaluatedpositively20