Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022
Welcome to my fourth annual report as Director of Public Health, but my first for the whole of Greater Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire and neighbouring authorities of North and North East Lincolnshire have faced huge public health challenges over the past few years in steering residents through the Covid-19 pandemic as safely as possible.
As we have emerged more fully from the restrictions that the pandemic brought to us all, we have faced new challenges, not least the mental wellbeing and other health related issues arising from periods of lockdown. And new concerns have arisen such as the cost of living challenge brought about by the economic crisis.
Over recent years, previous annual reports have centred on themes such as the burden of disease, response to the pandemic and the impact of Covid-19 on children and young peoples’ health and wellbeing. The Chief Medical Officer’s annual report for 2021 highlighted coastal communities as having some of the worst health outcomes in England and the lack of data and understanding of the different communities in areas which would help plan local strategies and improve outcomes for health. Both Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire were “coastal case studies” in Professor Whitty’s report.
Greater Lincolnshire typically has large areas of rural land and urban centres of differing sizes. So having analysed local data, this report identifies the four types of community we have – urban centre, urban industrial, coastal community and rural and market town – and the differences and opportunities for health and wellbeing.
There are significant challenges for preventing ill health and improving life expectancy across Greater Lincolnshire. Each community has different characteristics and opportunities that lead to different health outcomes. But the challenges can also have common themes across the region. Poor housing and fuel poverty require different solutions in urban and rural areas but is a consistent problem. The lack of a teaching hospital means recruitment and retainment of a health and care workforce is a challenge over all of Greater Lincolnshire, although it is felt more acutely in coastal strips. Poor air quality not only affects urban areas but agricultural air pollution is also a growing concern.
The report sets out how different health needs in the four types of community need different approaches. The local environment and its assets also need to be harnessed to improve health and wellbeing in our communities. We live in a beautiful, green and blue county and we should maximise the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors in the countryside and along our coastline and rivers.
There are also ways in which we can maximise training opportunities and recruitment to health and care, flexing the workforce to improve health and wellbeing and the support available. By developing a better understanding of the complexity of our local communities we can target and tailor our approach to prevention and treatment which meets the needs of local people.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge and thank all of those who have supported the writing and production of this year’s Director of Public
Health Annual Report.
Derek Ward
Director of Public Health for Greater Lincolnshire
To read the report in full please follow this link.
