HEALTH bosses in Barnsley are leading the way on tackling health inequalities in the town after completing a six-month-programme. Aimed at those working at neighbourhood and place level in Barnsley - the programme has helped empower tenants to think about how they can close gaps in care whilst engaging people to be proactive in their own health and well-being to improve overall health outcomes.
Using a data driven approach, teams have built analytical skills and have been able to identify cohorts of people who might need additional support. For example, those working in the South and Dearne have introduced new ways of working to support people under 40 who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and were obese with mental health problems.
Population health management is an approach that aims to improve the health of an entire population. Joe Monton, Professional Manager at South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said; 'We often start by looking at morbidity to determine priorities in the health service but we know many of the drivers of poor health are because of a person's social and economic circumstances. 'By looking at social vulnerability and the interaction of the services already on offer in Barnsley we have been able to see more clearly what people's needs and preferences are and we are now trialling new ways of working to support them'.
