Health leaders committed to improvements

AS the NHS nears its 65th anniversary, Warrington health leaders have re-affirmed their commitment to keep improving the service.
Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Warrington Borough Council are working on a range of programmes which are currently underway with plans being put in place to improve services, redesign the way people can access healthcare and keep local people healthy.
These include improving the health of children and young people in Warrington by acting early and intervening at the right time; improving services for people living with long-term conditions and mental health issues: reducing the need for hospital stays and giving care closer to home; decreasing the number of emergency admissions and A&E attendances; and improving the quality of medicines prescribing and making savings where possible.
Dr Andy Davies, Chair of Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We are committed to keeping people healthy, improving treatments and saving lives. We want to make a real difference – improving the way people access health and social care services, the quality of those services and people’s experiences of it.”
The GP-led organisation works for the people of Warrington buying health and social care services for its 206,000 residents and others who need emergency care whilst in the area.
The CCG is working very closely with Warrington Borough Council to make sure that health and social care links together for people whenever possible – addressing the issues and impact of factors, such as, poor housing, deprivation, and worklessness on vulnerable populations.
Dr Davies added: “The NHS has adapted and evolved on an enormous scale over the last 65 years – constantly changing to suit the health needs of our population. We recognise that significant further changes are needed to ensure that our residents are provided with firstclass health care and we will continue to deliver a stronger and more effective approach by working in partnership with public health commissioners, health service providers and the Borough Council to achieve excellence for Warrington.”
Warrington Borough Council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, Cllr Pat Wright, said: “The NHS is a great British institution that we’re rightly proud of, and Warrington Borough Council is proud to work closely with the NHS in helping promote public health in Warrington.
“Improving public health is now one of the most important responsibilities and one of the biggest challenges facing local authorities. The council has already done some excellent work addressing health inequalities, helping tackle the incidence of heart attack and stroke, promoting MMR vaccination and so on. We’re working well with our NHS partners towards our common goal of a healthier future for the people of Warrington, and we wish our colleagues in the NHS every success for the next sixty-five years and beyond.”