Home (including a healthier life, safety and recreation)

A Healthier Life

Some links on this page have been colour coded to make it easier to find the information you need:

Quick Read
In-depth
Clinical level

Reducing health inequalities

As the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK suggest
“Health inequalities are differences in health across the population, and between different groups in society, that are systematic, unfair and avoidable. Reducing health inequalities is one of our core principles. Our guidance supports strategies that improve population health as a whole, while offering particular benefit to the most disadvantaged.“
“NICE and Health Inequalities.” From the NICE website. Retrieved 23/2/2024

The causes of health inequalities are complex. Reducing health inequalities goes beyond the health and care system and it requires working in partnership across services, sectors and communities, at local, regional and national level. However, there are some simple steps available locally which can help. The key part of creating a healthier life for everyone locally is taking a broad approach to health, which goes beyond just considering medical interventions. 

From Cancer Research UK
“Health inequalities. “This series of articles provides a simple introduction to health inequalities. Though it is focused around health inequalities and cancer the principles are the same for other common conditions. Health inequalities: “We have a moral duty to reduce them” – Cancer Research UK – Cancer News

From the Kings Fund
What are health inequalities? What Are Health Inequalities? | The King’s Fund

From NICE
Links to all NICE evidence based topics which relate to health inequalities
NICE and health inequalities NICE and health inequalities | What we do | About | NICE

A local strategy for happier, healthier lives

The Health and Wellbeing Board Buckinghamshire have suggested
“Our vision is to improve outcomes for the whole population as well as having a greater impact on improving the health and wellbeing of those people in Buckinghamshire who have poorer health and wellbeing. The strategy proposes to make an impact on three key priority areas:

  • Start Well
  • Live Well
  • Age Well”
    “Happier, Healthier Lives – a plan for Buckinghamshire” February 2021. The Buckinghamshire Council Modern Government website. Retrieved 23/2/2024

More on the local strategy can be found under
Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-2024.pdf

See under the section “further information” at the bottom of this page to see how you can get involved.

A package of support

There is not one answer to reducing health inequalities and improving health, and what will help will vary between individuals. The purpose of this page is to give you an idea about some of the options available locally which can make a difference in reducing health inequalities, and improving the health of everyone. This page is intended for every age and population group.

A simple way of viewing the help available is as a package of local and national support from which you can pick any option, that is important to you, at any time. The vast majority of this support you can access directly without needing to go to your GP practice. For the support from your GP practice such as vaccinations and screening (e.g. cervical screening), the value and help with these options is explained in more detail on linked pages.

The support includes:

Help navigating the local health and care system

The help is not just medical but importantly includes the social side of life. Everyone can register at a GP practice, even if you do not have a permanent residence. There is support to help you connect with many of the local services, provided by social prescribers. Much of the information you need is on your practice website combined with Bucks Health Hub and there is a simple explanation how to search for any information you want.

Everyone can register with a GP practice, no one should be excluded. Even if you do not attend your practice regularly it is worth registering with a GP practice as it can on occasions give you simpler access to other services.

Further information can be found for

Help with registering with a new GP practice

If you move practice registering with a new GP practice should be a straightforward process but if you have any difficulties you can contact your local Healthwatch who can help.

From Healthwatch Bucks
What we do What we do – Healthwatch Bucks
Support includes:

  • Helping you get the right services: Sometimes it is difficult to know where to go to get the help you need. We will help you find the right service to get the support you need that is right for you.
  • Get in touch: If you have a question, or need help finding advice and information about health and social care services why not get in touch
  • Our signposting service: Information about health and social care services in Buckinghamshire
  • Contact us- Helpline: Contact us – Healthwatch Bucks

Finding a new GP practice in your local area

If you move to a new area you can find a practice in your local area by using the NHS search function

SOCIAL PRESCRIBING

As NHS England suggest
“Social prescribing involves helping patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services which might be run by the council or a local charity.”
“Social prescribing”. NHS England. Retrieved 8th February 2024
NHS England » Social prescribing

ACCESS YOUR PRACTICE OR PCN SOCIAL PRESCRIBER – SELF REFERRAL

If in post, you can access a social prescriber either attached to your practice or primary care network (local group of practices your practice is part of). Further information on how to do this, if available, look on your practice website under the page “Contact details and self-referral” (see in section “in practice self referrals”).

ACCESS A LOCAL SOCIAL PRESCRIBER IF YOUR PRACTICE SOCIAL PRESCRIBER IS NOT AVAILABLE – SELF REFERRAL

If a social prescriber is not available through your GP practice or PCN then you can contact connection support who offer a similar service.

From Connection Support

Searching your practice website

A simple way of thinking about it is that practice information is held on your practice website, while general health information is held on Bucks Health Hub

You can search your practice website which is connected to Bucks Health Hub using any of the following including:

  • The search function found on the dark blue ribbon at the top of every practice page, see “Search”.
  • The “Your practice” menu found on the dark blue ribbon at the top of every practice page.
  • The “Quick links” section found on the practice home page.

Top tips

  • Use a simple single word to search if a more complex search has not given you what you want.
  • If you cannot find what you are looking for on our practice website then search on Bucks Health Hub.

There are many direct links from you linked practice website to Bucks Health Hub however you can also search for information directly on Bucks Health Hub.

Searching Buck Health Hub

You can search Bucks Health Hub using any of the following including:

  • The home page for Bucks Health Hub, which includes links to many of the pages from the the six main health areas covered. It also includes a search bar towards the bottom of the page
  • The search function found on the dark blue ribbon at the top of every Bucks Hub Page page, see “Search Site”.
  • The two menus “Health and Wellbeing” and “Support Services” found on the dark blue ribbon at the top of every Bucks Hub Page page. These two menus cover the six main health areas.

Top tips

  • Use a simple single word to search if a more complex search has not given you what you want.

SHARED DECISION MAKING

As NHS England suggests
“Shared decision making (SDM) ensures that individuals are supported to make decisions that are right for them. It is a collaborative process through which a clinician supports a patient to reach a decision about their treatment. The conversation brings together: the clinician’s expertise, such as treatment options, evidence, risks and benefits and what the patient knows best: their preferences, personal circumstances, goals, values and beliefs.”
“Shared decision making.” NHS England website. Retrieved 18th January 2023

How you can get more involved in your care is explained further under

DIVIDING INFORMATION INTO DIFFERENT COLOURS (CATEGORIES)

Every GP will have been trained to try and pitch any information they give patients at the level the patient wants. The difficulty even for the same person is there can be times when you just want a simple overview of a condition, other times you may want more detailed information (but still designed for patients) and occasionally you may want to know why a clinician (such as a GP) is advising an option to support you and what is the actual evidence for such an option (clinical level information written for clinicians).

We have colour coded information and you will see a key at the top of each page where this is relevant to the page, dividing information into 3 categories:

  • Quick read
  • In depth
  • Clinical level

QUICK READ

This information is usually from sources such as the NHS website, and national charities which support a specific condition, age group or other important group (e.g., veterans). The articles are usually short (usually taking less than 1 minute to read) and the language is patient orientated.

IN DEPTH

This information is usually from sources such as Patient info, Gov UK and sometimes from national charities and from NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence). This information is patient orientated but is much more detailed (often taking more than 2 minutes to read any article).

CLINICAL LEVEL

This information is usually from sources such as NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) but also there are some articles from Patient info and Gov.UK. This information is intended for clinicians in GP practices and hospitals. It is included because some patients find it beneficial to have much more clinically orientated information, so they can understand the medical evidence for a clinician suggesting a specific option.

Easy read

Easy Read documents usually combine short, jargon-free sentences with simple, clear images to help explain the content. It is used to help people who have a learning disability. Easy Read can also be useful for people who speak English as a second language and people who find it hard to read and write.

Further information on easy read can be found under

Health information in other languages

From the NHS
Heath information in other languages Health information in other languages – NHS

Improving mental and social wellbeing and mental health

Mental health emergencies

Includes other support beyond calling 999 or going directly to A&E, see under

Wellbeing and mental health

For all of us even without a mental health condition an attention to mental and social wellbeing can be helpful.

There is good local support for mental health conditions including with

Alcohol and drugs can have a huge impact on mental health, there is excellent local support to help, whatever your age

Improving physical wellbeing and reducing important risk factors

Good physical wellbeing can support the treatment of a number of health conditions, and includes local support in the areas of

Reducing risk factors for some important health conditions is well supported locally

Making healthy living changes not only benefits the present but can reduce the risk of developing many common health conditions in the future, such as cancer. See under

Good mental, social and physical wellbeing can help with aging well as is explained under

Preventing ill health

Vaccinations

Reducing the risk from a number of infections is possible with

  • Vaccinations – this includes catch up clinics available across Buckinghamshire for any school age children who have missed any vaccines

Screening

Picking up the onset of health conditions earlier can help better control or stop serious health conditions

  • Screening – this includes how you get any screening you might have missed
  • Cervical screening – there is good support for cervical screening
  • NHS Health Check – for anyone aged 40 to 74 and who does not have a pre-existing health condition. This check can pick up multiple health conditions early and allow treatment.

Medical support to improve your health

There is medical support in the areas of

Sexual health support includes direct access to routine and emergency contraception, and emergency support for sexual assault and HIV prevention.

Pregnancy covers from before pregnancy, through pregnancy (antenatal care) and after your pregnancy (postnatal care). The support is not just medical (such as your midwife) but much more

Good support for long term conditions can make a difference with long term health

Improving the home environment

Giving every child the best start in life

Support starts in pregnancy and carries on before school. It is not just the support of your midwife and then health visitor but all the other support available, see under

Improving home life

There is support for better relationships at any age, and for parents

Alcohol and drugs can impact on any relationship, and there is local help at any age with

There is local support following domestic abuse

There is important support for anyone at risk of being made homeless

Providing good life opportunities

Education at any age can make a difference

As well as school more people are taking up further education. Help with any bullying is important at any stage of life including with work.

Many people are now taking advantage of further adult education, including those whose experience of school education was poor. This can include help with learning how to use a computer at any age and other helpful life and work skills. This is all free.

Access to work and support with finances

There is local help with work and financial problems

Reducing crime and improving safeguarding

Crime

Support following crime and help to reduce crime, see under

Alcohol and drugs can play a big part in crime, and there is local support to help with addiction

For anyone who has left prison there is good support to make changes including for

  • Work
  • Adult Education – Free local support to learn new skills, including how to use a computer and get important other life skills
  • Finances – including free advice on debt problems

There is also support for mental health including

Safeguarding

Support for safeguarding (stopping both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect) can be found under

Further information

The Local Government Association provide a summary of the important Marmot Review
“Marmot Review report – ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives” Marmot Review report – ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives | Local Government Association

From The Health Foundation
Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On – The Health Foundation

From the Institute of Health Equity
Home Home – IHE

From the Centre for Social Justice
” The CSJ is an independent, award-winning organisation that puts social justice at the heart of British politics.” The Centre for Social Justice

From NHS England
The Equality and Health Inequalities Hub NHS England » The Equality and Health Inequalities Hub

From Buckinghamshire Council
Buckinghamshire Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 to 2025 Buckinghamshire Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 to 2025 | Buckinghamshire Council
This includes how you can get involved and aims which include

  • Make a visible difference to health outcomes and reduce health inequalities across the county.
  • Put residents at the heart of our work

From Heart of Bucks – inviting funding applications
Health Equity Fund – Addressing ethnic health inequalities Health Equity Fund – Addressing ethnic health inequalities – Heart of Bucks Community Foundation

From Buckinghamshire Council
Understanding Buckinghamshire: Local profiles Local Profiles

Opportunity Bucks and how you can get involved

From Buckinghamshire Council

NHS 111

If you think you need medical help right now, 111 online can tell you what to do next.

Physiotherapy

You can now self refer for physiotherapy locally

Your Pharmacy

Seven common infections now treated by your local pharmacist

CAMPAIGNS

Show your heart some love, women of Bucks!

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