We are refreshing the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) for Bath and North East Somerset, in order to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and reduce health inequalities in the area.
The strategy will set out the health and wellbeing priorities in the area for the next 5 to 10 years.
These priorities will guide our work, as well as the work of the NHS and other key organisations in our area, including universities, colleges and voluntary and community groups.
The wider policy context
We outlined two core objectives in our Corporate Strategy 2020-2024; tackling the climate emergency and giving you, our residents, a bigger say.
The Strategy will inform and work alongside a number of our plans and strategies, including the Local Plan, the Corporate Plan, the economic strategy, and the Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP).
It will also inform the content of the new NHS Integrated Care Strategy for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.
The aim of this engagement process is to give you a greater say about the health and wellbeing priorities in the local area. This will help us determine what needs to be done to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for local residents.
The climate emergency also has an impact on health and wellbeing outcomes, so this will be considered in the development of this strategy.
The health policy context
Almost every aspect of our lives impacts our health and how long we will live. This includes our jobs and homes, access to education and public transport, lifestyle choices and more.
In Bath and North East Somerset, we know that lives are being cut short and that some people who live in certain areas are dying earlier than they should.
We are working together with the NHS and voluntary and community groups to develop this new Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which aims to put the right policies in place to ensure more people living in Bath and North East Somerset are able to live healthy and well lives.