HEALTH AND WELLBEING This chapter provides an overview of key health issues in Carlisle alongside views from local people and organisations about which aspects of health they find most concerning. Their views include worries about poor mental health, physical health challenges and growing levels of self-harming behaviours. There are however, ‘glimpses of blue sky’ with enthusiasm expressed about new developments in research which will help identify issues and solutions. Equally there is welcome recognition of the role that voluntary and community groups play in helping residents to deal with the often devasting consequences of poor mental and physical health. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH1 • Recently opened health facilities: New facilities in Carlisle including a £15m Endoscopy Unit2 and a £3.4m heart centre at Cumberland Infirmary3 helping patients to be treated locally, rather than outside of the area. • The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine: The partnership between the Imperial College School of Medicine and the University of Cumbria has created Cumbria’s first medical school. It plans to respond to key skills gaps in the health system and introduce new research and improved practice. • Exciting research: Important research collaborations including Cumbria’s status as a Marmot place alongside Lancashire,4 an Applied Research Collaboration involving the Institute of Health at the University of Cumbria5 and a £4.8m Health Determinants Research Collaboration6 led by Cumberland Council are working in partnership to tackle health inequalities and improve population health. • Accessing the outdoors for exercise and improved lifestyles: Many of the long-term medical conditions affecting people in Carlisle are in part the result of lifestyle choices. Organisations including Active Cumbria,7 Denton Holme Community Garden8 and several “Friends of” Carlisle Parks groups9 promote access to green spaces, gardening, walking for health and active travel options, encouraging residents to see the outdoor spaces as places to improve physical and mental wellbeing. • Anchor organisations: Anchor organisations including the local NHS trusts and Cumberland Council are major employers in Carlisle. Their dayto-day practices, including how they involve voluntary and community groups, procure services and recruit staff are having a positive impact on local health inequalities, helping to shape future actions.10 OPPORTUNITIES 1There are multiple sources defining the wider (or social) determinants of public health including from national and international organisations. For example, https://www.who.int/ health-topics/social-determinants-of-health ; or Department of Social Care, Fingertips Wider Determinants of Health Profile: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/wider-determinants ; or The Health Foundation, Wider Determinants of Health https://www.health.org.uk/topics/social-determinants-of-health. The Dahlgren-Whitehead rainbow (shown in text) is a model developed in 1991 for determining health inequalities. It maps the relationship between the individual, their environment and health. 2NHS North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust: https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/trust/building-projects-innovation/endoscopy-unit-carlisle 3NHS North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust: https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/news/north-cumbrias-new-heart-centre-sneak-peek 4A Marmot Place recognises that health and health inequalities are mostly shaped by the social determinants of health (SDH): the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and takes action to improve health and reduce health inequalities. https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/taking-action/marmot-places 5University of Cumbria, Institute of Health https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/research/centres/crihs-research-centre/national-institute-of-health-research-north-east-north-cumbria-appliedresearch-collaboration-nihr-nenc-arc/ 6Cumberland Council, Health Determinants Research Collaboration: https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/health-and-wellbeing/health-determinants-researchcollaboration 7Active Cumbria: https://www.activecumbria.org 8Denton Holme Community Garden, Cornerstone food bank: https://www.goodtogrowuk.org/map/?o=12208 9There are a number of voluntary groups that help to maintain and develop Carlisle’s parks including: Friends of Rickerby Park: https://friendsofrickerbypark.co.uk/ ; Friends of Chances Park: https://friendsofchancespark.co.uk/ ; Friends of Hammonds Pond: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofhammondspond/ 10For more information about Anchor organisations see: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/anchor-institutions-and-peoples-health or https://www.health.org.uk/newsletter-feature/the-nhs-as-an-anchor 11The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) is a partnership of organisations that provide health and care across the region. ICSs have two parts: Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs). ICBs replaced clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in the NHS in England from 1 July 2022. The relevant ICB for Carlisle is the NHS North East North Cumbria which works collectively, joining up resources and expertise to provide the best health and care for local communities. In addition, The Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) is a committee of the ICB and the 14 local authorities from across the North East and North Cumbria. ICs can also include representatives from public health, social care, housing services, and voluntary and community sector organisations. ICPs focus on wider public and social care issues. See https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk; and https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/integrated-care-systems-health-and-care-act Carlisle: Opportunities & Challenges 2025 54 55
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5NzM=