Bath & North East Somerset Council has formally adopted the area’s updated Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy at its recent meeting on Thursday 16th July.
The strategy sets out priorities for the Council, NHS BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and other key partners involved in delivering health and social care services.
Cllr Vic Pritchard, Council Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health (Conservative, Chew Valley South), is the new Co-Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board.
He said: “This second Health and Wellbeing Strategy has been developed following consultation with local people and sets out our aspirations for the future.
“This includes plans to develop greater choice and independence for older people, more preventative work to support people before they become ill, even more integrated health and social care services and care tailored to meet the needs of the individual.
“Bath and North East Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board has a significant role to play in developing local services that deliver high quality care for all and supports people to live healthy lives.”
The Council’s plans include:
- Investing in services for older people to help them remain independent for longer, including support for dementia services.
- Focussing on preventative services that help people stay well for longer, and keep them out of hospital or a care home.
- Supporting people discharged from hospital. The intensive home from hospital support service delivered in partnership with Age UK B&NES and Care & Repair Home Improvement Agency is a good example of this.
- Delivering on their new, statutory responsibilities under the Care Act 2014, providing the right support and advice to people who need it.
The Health & Wellbeing Strategy can be found here – www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/hwbstrategy.pdf.