Common use of Health inequalities Clause in Contracts

Health inequalities. Developing interventions that are inequalities sensitive and measuring the impact of these is a fundamental aspect of developing fairer communities and improving health outcomes. A Health Inequalities Impact Assessment for this redesign proposal was carried out early in 2021 (Appendix SC09). The purpose of the assessment was to consider the key health inequalities and to identify how the proposed redesign could address these. This underlined that the level of deprivation is consistently greater in Caithness than Highland, and the overall percentage of people in Caithness living in the lower three quintiles is greater than both Highland and Scotland. People who live in deprived areas are more likely to die early from disease and have more years of ill-health. Those most socially deprived are at greater risk of living with multiple long- term conditions at earlier age12. Early death and illnesses associated with mental wellbeing, diet, drug use, tobacco and alcohol dependency are more common in poorer areas than in richer areas13. Some of the key points to emerge from the assessment are as follows: • an increasing elderly population in Caithness; • a slightly higher incidence of self-reported mental health issues compared to Highland overall; • a slightly higher prevalence of people diagnosed with dementia compared to Highland and Scotland overall; • long travel distances often required to access health care due to rurality; and • a significant number of people not registered with a GP. Key recommendations from the report are listed below: • any new model of care should have a preventative aspect as well as a treatment aspect; 12 The Annual report of the Director of Public Health 2019: Past. Present and Future Trends in Health and Wellbeing, Supplementary Paper 6, Care dependency in the older population of NHS Highland. DPH-Annual-Report-2019-and-appendices.pdf (▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇) 13 The Scottish Burden of Disease Study, 2016. ▇▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇/media/1733/sbod2016-overview-report-sept18.pdf • develop a programme of health inequalities training that can be rolled out across NHS and community staff; • nurture and maintain close links between the redesign project team, other partners and including representatives from identified protected characteristics; and • work closely with social isolation and mental wellbeing group to develop and improve responsive and supportive services for people experiencing mental distress.