£1m to tackle health problems

11:31am Wednesday 9th July 2008

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OBESITY in children, teenage pregnancy and smoking are just some of the issues that will be tackled with the launch of a new £1million health improvement fund in Worcestershire.

The fund will be launched at a meeting of the Worcestershire Partnership tomorrow.

The fund has been created to help meet tough new targets negotiated between Government and the Worcestershire Partnership, which is made up of organisations that provide services to Worcestershire residents.

They include Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT), Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Worcestershire County Council, who have all contributed money to the new fund.

The targets are to:

• Increase adult participation in sport
• Reduce the number of people admitted to hospital because of injuries caused by alcohol
• Reduce obesity among primary school children
• Increase the opportunities for young people to take part in positive activities
• Reduce the number of under-18s falling pregnant
• Reduce the number of deaths from circulatory diseases among under-75s
• Reduce the number of people who smoke

  Up to £75,000 will be available to individual organisations for projects that help to deliver those targets, which are set out in Worcestershire's Local Area Agreement (LAA).

The LAA is an agreement between Government and the Worcestershire Partnership that lasts from 2008 to 2011 and aims to target resources on issues that are a priority at the local and national level.

Dr Richard Harling, Worcestershire’s director of public health, said: "We are particularly interested in receiving applications for projects that will target those areas of the county where health is poorest. This funding will help some of the most vulnerable residents of Worcestershire."

A workshop will be organised in September to help organisations apply and the first deadline for applications is October 30. More information is available from Dr Harling on 01905 760040.

Health hotspots in the county include Oldington and Foley Park and Greenhill and Broadwaters in Wyre Forest.