A three-year plan to improve public Health in the Basildon district has been approved.

The Health Improvement Programme also aims to develop more effective and efficient health services.

It will come into effect on April 1 this year and aims to get organisations in the health service and voluntary sector working together more closely.

Basildon Council hosted a health conference in October last year, organised by South Essex Health Authority, which considered the health needs of the district and how to meet them.

The results of this conference were used when drawing up the three-year health plan and the community and leisure committee voted to adopt it.

A council report on the programme lays out its aims as "to improve the health and well being of those living and working in the area".

It also states: "The programme will benefit the local economy as healthier individuals will increase output and lose less time through ill health."

Several themes that came out of the October conference have been included in the programme.

These include increasing the involvement of the public in service planning, improving awareness of and information about services, and promoting healthy lifestyles with particular emphasis on healthy food, fitness and reducing smoking.

Another goal was to improve access to services and the quality of primary care.

This covers the availability of surgery and community health services, adequate ratios of GPs, practice nurses and other staff, NHS dentists, and out of hours arrangements.

Although South Essex Health Authority has drawn up the programme it will be left to Basildon New Town and Billericay and Wickford Primary Care Groups to implement it.

Basildon's health

High number of drug and public order offences, and serious road accidents related to alcohol

High standard mortality rates for men but lower for women, compared to south Essex

High rates of lung and prostate cancer, low rates of breast cancer, high rates of respiratory illness

High rates of long-term illness compared to all age groups in Essex

High alcohol-related attendance at Basildon Hospital's accident and emergency department

High rates of teenage pregnancy and terminations

High number of drug-related attendance at A and E

The highest level of car crime in Essex

Low pass rates in education, high number of special needs cases, high number of pupils excluded each year, and high truancy rates

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