Last updated at 12:40, Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Carlisle is now on the map as one of 1,200 so-called “Healthy Cities” across Europe. But far from it meaning everything is rosy, in fact the work to transform us into a truly healthy city has only just begun.

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To put it into context, securing this new global status is more of a pledge of the city’s intentions than confirmation we are doing things right.

And in order to make it work we – and that means everyone from the couple at the end of your street to the political leaders sitting in their Civic Centre committee rooms – have to change our whole way of thinking.

By that they mean re-igniting good old-fashioned community spirit – encouraging people to take ownership of their city and want to do their bit to help.

On Thursday night American professor Chris Gates, a leading light in the worldwide Healthy Cities initiative, was in Carlisle to give his take on how this can work.

He used this week’s floods as an example of how we are all capable of rallying round in a crisis – but what happens to that spirit the rest of the time?

Prof John Ashton, NHS Cumbria’s public health director, believes in people and is confident this new goal will bring out the best in them.

In his previous career he was heavily involved with the Healthy Cities initiative in Merseyside and has every confidence it will succeed here.

In order to get this far, NHS Cumbria and Carlisle City Council had to submit a detailed report about Carlisle’s health status – combining the good points with the problems the area is still facing. This looks not just at city residents, but the health of the surrounding district, which was also be included in the bid.

Among the main challenges identified were the growing elderly population and large health inequalities between different council wards. For example, at present people living in the Castle and Upperby wards can expect to live to the age of 75 and spend 10 of those years in ill health. However residents in Wetheral will live to an average age of 81 and spend just five years in poor health. And a boy growing up in Botcherby can expect to die nine years earlier than one in Burgh.

The main causes of early mortality in Carlisle are heart disease and cancer. The number of cancer deaths are particularly high is Morton, Currock and Denton Holme – the latter having a death rate 52 per cent higher than the national average. Carlisle also has a suicide rate more than twice the national average.

Other health concerns include teenage pregnancy, obesity, air quality, winter deaths, smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise.

All of these factors form part of the action plan submitted to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as part of the healthy city bid.

Now it has been successful, the work to tackle these issues really has to start if Carlisle is to retain its Healthy City status – which puts the city on the map alongside 1,200 others in Europe and 10,000 worldwide

Jane Muller, the county’s associate director of public health, who also lives in Carlisle, said securing this title shows a real commitment to improving the health of local people and tackling deprivation.

She said this includes, for example, creating more breastfeeding facilities and giving people extra support to give up smoking, with a real emphasis on prevention rather than simply treating illnesses when it’s too late.

But she stressed it is not simply a case of improving NHS services, it also means making physical improvements to the city’s infrastructure, increasing opportunities for young people and much more.

From now on, every decision taken about Carlisle’s future must take into account the impact on our health.

In practical terms this can mean better cycle routes and green space, but also much wider public involvement.

And this is where Dr Ashton believes the real challenge lies. Sure they can force developers to add play areas into housing schemes or pay for more buses, but it is not just about throwing money at a community. In order for it to really work the people of Carlisle need to take the new status to heart and embrace it.

He says that the real beauty of this new mindset is that it looks at the positives and builds on them.

This includes treating people and their skills and knowledge as assets and looking at what each individual can bring to the table.

“Healthy Cities is about tapping into people’s pride in their own town, city or village.

“If you think about the Victorian people, you just have to look at the magnificent buildings in Carlisle – these weren’t just built for a purpose, they were amazing statements about people being proud of their town. They wanted to develop their community and make it stand out,” he said.

“If we really want to improve health and wellbeing we need citizens, politicians, businesses, schools – all of the things that make up a community.

“The health service is only one bit of that.

“We want people to start thinking it’s their city, not someone else’s, and feel they can help make a difference.”

In practical terms, those leading the healthy city initiative are looking at a whole range of ways they can get people involved, with a series of celebration meetings being planned across Carlisle to kick things off.

But getting all the usual players round a table isn’t a problem, the real challenge is involving those who wouldn’t usually bother.

During his Carlisle visit, Prof Gates – an American who specialises in this field – took this issue by the horns and told the health bosses and civic leaders that it is all about approach.

He is a firm believer that it is not apathy that stops people getting involved, it is the feeling that their input means nothing.

In order to change that he said that they must show that they are not just consulting with the public, but are actually listening and responding to what is said.

“We need to realise that collaboration is no longer a nicety, it is a necessity, and build that into everything we do,” he said.

Mrs Muller agreed that organisations like the NHS need to really embrace this way of thinking, ands in turn urged the people of Carlisle to respond. She said in a time of recession money is in short supply, so we must instead tap into the resources already out there in our communities and the 100,000-strong population.

Dr Ashton added: “Everyone has a gift. We have got all these people her in Carlisle and every one has got something different.

“We have to make sure they are able to contribute in a practical way to improving health and wellbeing.”

PMcGowan@cngroup.co.uk

First published at 11:23, Monday, 23 November 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk