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Residents urged to take charge of their health

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A new deal is urging Wigan Borough residents to take charge of their health as Greater Manchester prepares to take charge of the government’s £6 billion health and social care budget next month.

The Deal for Health and Wellness, which was launched on Friday 11th March at a special event hosted by Healthwatch Wigan, promises to tackle some of the borough’s biggest health and social care problems by taking advantage of the opportunities presented by devolution.

The leader of Wigan Council and chair of the Greater Manchester Health Partnership said:

“At the moment nearly 10,000 residents are living with cancer, more than 2,000 have dementia, 580 die each year because of smoking and 26.2 per cent of adults are classed as obese. This new deal aims to target those issues, like obesity, that prevent local residents from living long and healthy lives. It will support them to lead healthy lifestyles and become more independent. It also aims to improve the quality and increase accessibility to care.

“We believe that everyone has the right to live a long and healthy life and working together we believe we can turn that ambition into a reality.”

In order for the Deal for Health and Wellness to work residents will need to play a part. Working together, Wigan Council and local health organisations will support residents to lead healthier lives, but residents will need to take charge of their own health by becoming more active and making healthier lifestyle choices.

Dr Tim Dalton, Local GP and Chair of NHS Wigan Borough CCG, explains:

“The NHS is there to help you when you are ill, but we also want to help you stay well. We are committed to offering all our patients access to GP services seven days a week, but we need you to make sure that you register with a local GP and use the right service at the right time. This means going to a pharmacy for help with colds, coughs, rashes and minor ailments, going to your GP when you are unwell, and only using A&E when you have a serious or life-threatening condition.”

Making sure people are mentally healthy will also be a key priority of the Deal for Health and Wellness, as Simon Barber, Chief Executive at 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, explains: “One in four people will experience mental ill health during each year. To help stay healthy it’s important people take as much care of their mental wellbeing as they do of their physical health. Through the Deal for Health and Wellness, we plan to work with partner organisations to educate people about lifestyle choices they can make to help maintain positive mental health.”

Andrew Foster, Chief Executive, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust said:

“We believe that by working with our partner organisations through the Deal for Health and Wellness, we will help our patients to improve their health and promote wellness.

“In Wigan Borough we believe that everyone has the right to live a long and healthy life and by 2020 we want to turn that belief into a reality.

“Last year the government announced its intention to give the people of Greater Manchester the power to make its own decisions, based on the best interests of its 2.8 million residents. In Wigan Borough, this gives us the opportunity to change the way we deliver services including health and social care and allowing us to focus our resources on those issues which prevent people in Wigan Borough from living a long and healthy life.”

Colin Scales, Chief Executive of Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are delighted to have signed up to the Deal for Health and Wellness which is set to make a significant difference to improving health in the communities we serve.

“It is the responsibility of all who provide healthcare to the people of Wigan listen to what our communities need and provide care that is of the highest quality and effective in treating ill health and promoting healthier lifestyles.”

Earlier this month Wigan Council committed £500k community fund to help get people in Wigan Borough ‘On the Move.’ The fund will be available for community groups and sports clubs to bid for and will be targeted at making it easier for people of all ages to be more active.

All households in Wigan Borough will receive a booklet describing what the Deal for Health and Wellness is all about and will also be given the opportunity to pledge their support.

This booklet will be delivered to all households in Wigan Borough, but can also be viewed on the Joint health and wellbeing strategy webpage.

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