Consultation on the Draft Health Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy for Merthyr Tydfil

Consultation on the Draft Health, Social Care & Wellbeing (HSCWB) Strategy (2011-14) began on Tuesday 4th January 2011.

The purpose of the Strategy is to ensure that Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Cwm Taf Local Health Board work together alongside a range of other partners, including the voluntary sector and Public Health Wales, to improve the health, social care & wellbeing of our communities.

By identifying the issues, and focusing on the priorities relating to the social determinants of health, such as our lifestyles and our living conditions, we aim to reduce health inequalities and deliver an improved quality of life for people in Merthyr Tydfil.

The strategy will look to address the underlying causes of ill health and rebalance care towards local provision, which focuses on promoting good health and independence, involve the communities in how we do this and provide an effective communication plan to ensure that the involvement is ongoing. The strategy will also communicate across organisations, to ensure that information is shared and the provision of services is not duplicated.

The draft Strategy identifies that we need to:
• prevent ill health
• protect the most vulnerable
• promote independence and encourage self care
• ensure that we empower people to take responsibility for their own health
• integrate services and avoid duplication
• provide a customer led process

Good progress has been made since the first Health Social Care & Wellbeing Strategy and a strong foundation has been built in order to improve issues that have the potential to affect the health and wellbeing of the population of Merthyr Tydfil. Issues identified include worklessness, mental health, substance misuse and poor lifestyle choices.

For further information contact Cwm Taf Local Health Board’s Project Development Manager on (01443) 744844 or Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s Service Improvement Manager on (01685) 724569.

A copy of the draft Health, Social Care & Wellbeing Strategy (2011-14) and the consultation questionnaire is available on Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s website www.merthyr.gov.uk and on the Cwm Taf Local Health Board website