Blackburn with Darwen’s Public Health team hosted a visit from Professor Andrew Furber OBE, North West Regional Director of Public Health, on Tuesday 16 September. He was joined by colleagues from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, a government department set up to improve the nation’s health, and NHS England.
Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health Abdul Razaq, together with the borough’s Public Health team presented an overview of the work of the team over the last year, including:
• Achieving a ‘good’ CQC rating for substance misuse services
• Becoming a national exemplar for child tooth decay reduction
• Improving continuity of care in substance misuse services
• Having the lowest ever recorded smoking at time of delivery
• Delivering over 4500 NHS Health Checks and more than 800 workforce heart disease checks.
Professor Furber and colleagues were also taken on a tour of Shadsworth Family Hub to learn about the co-ordinated health and wellbeing support available to families in Blackburn with Darwen from before birth up to 19 years of age.
Professor Andrew Furber OBE said:
"I was pleased to hear of the Council’s commitment to improve the health of residents and to see some of the important services being delivered. The visit to Shadsworth Family Hub was inspirational and a practical example of services working together in a neighbourhood to improve the lives of local families."
The recent announcement that Blackburn with Darwen will be one of the 43 places nationally set to benefit from the roll-out of new neighbourhood health services can only strengthen this. All of those who are involved should feel very proud.
Professor Abdul Razaq commented:
"Blackburn with Darwen has a strong focus on delivering positive health outcomes for local residents through collaboration and partnerships. Our Public Health commissioned services in 0-19 services, substance misuse, mental health wellbeing, wellbeing services, NHS health checks, oral health improvement, sexual health services, infection prevention and control provides a range of offers, support and advice to save, improve and protect lives."
The Public Health team is actively engaged in close collaboration across Council services, the NHS and VCFSE sector organisations to enhance and improve health outcomes for our communities across Blackburn with Darwen.