01.04.13
Mapping the way to better healthcare in Essex
Source: National Health Executive Mar/Apr 2013
From planning primary health facilities to effectively targeting public health programmes, NHS North Essex is mapping the way to better healthcare services. Colin Seward, public health intelligence specialist at NHS North Essex, explains.
NHS North Essex is the umbrella organisation for a group of agencies working together to plan and buy healthcare for a local population of almost a million people between Harlow in the west, Braintree in the north, Chelmsford in the south and the Clacton-Harwich coastline.
With its charming countryside and easy access to London, the population of north Essex has grown rapidly over the last decade. Residential developments have multiplied as more families move into the area eager to take advantage of affordable accommodation, good schools and an easy commute into the city.
The impact of a housing boom on primary health facilities
New development puts pressure on local healthcare facilities, particularly GP surgeries, which can struggle to cope with the extra demand created by population growth. Planning health promotion campaigns and healthcare interventions can also prove difficult with a rapidly changing demographic.
While geographic information plays a key role in all public health analysis, it is particularly important in the planning process consultations of residential developments, where geographic information is used to determine the impact a new development will have on local health services.
Where the local healthcare facilities would be unable to provide services for the increased number of patients resulting from the new housing, developers are requested to fund any increase in capacity of primary health facilities required as a result of a new development. This could be provided in the form of developer (capital) funding for the refurbishment, extension and/or equipping of a GP surgery or, in some cases, the provision of a new GP surgery.
Over the past two years, we have secured funding to increase the capacity of primary care services through planning legal agreements or secured in principle (subject to planning permission for development being granted).
This includes £1.12m capital funding for the refurbishment, re-equipping and extension of GP surgeries, and provision of land and £2m capital funding for a potential new surgery for four GPs to serve a major new growth area.
Targeted public health campaigns
Geographic data is also underpinning a number of public health campaigns in the region. For example, demand for a local Stop Smoking Support programme has increased by 300% since we introduced more effective targeting of services. By using maps to identify where high levels of smoking occurred, the service was able to increase the campaigning in Braintree, one of the area’s main pockets of deprivation. As a result, clinic provision in the town has tripled with one team alone now seeing over 75 clients per week.
In addition, a pilot project was initiated to improve the detection of undiagnosed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) using community pharmacies. Maps were provided to the project team to assist in identifying areas of high risk patients and optimally located pharmacies to include in the programme. The maps provided a useful and powerful way to assist in visualising the spread of services across the area and to ensure that a good geographical coverage was catered for.
By being able to accurately locate the project pilot sites, the screening programme was able to identify around one in ten screened patients as having possible signs of COPD, and then refer them on for further investigation.
Pinpointing both GP and pharmacy locations alongside one another also identified very easily who would need to be informed or involved in the project.
The future of mapping in healthcare
These and other examples like them highlight just how vital mapping is in ensuring that healthcare services are located, and resources are targeted, exactly where they are needed. People understand reams of complex data much more easily if it is presented on a map.
Access to geographic data is simple through the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA). This centrally funded licensing agreement between Government and Ordnance Survey allows geographic data to be widely available, free at the point of use and shared between all public sector organisations.
With responsibility for public health due to move across to local authorities in April 2013, this availability of open and shared geographical data through the public sector community will continue to make a real difference to collaborative working and effective health service planning.
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