The City of York is strongly committed to reducing health inequality within our city. We are seeking a solution that ensures health-specific communications from various City Partners reach the relevant target groups.

Residents of the City of York generally experience better health and wellbeing across a range of indicators than the United Kingdom as a whole. Life expectancy in York is higher than the national average at 79.6 years for men (England 78.3) and 83.2 years for women. However, health is substantially worse in York’s most deprived areas and there is still a gap of nearly ten years in life expectancy for males between the most and least deprived communities.

The City of York’s new Health & Wellbeing Board brings together partners from across the City such as the City of York Council, York Hospital and NHS North Yorkshire and York, which often run communication programmes for residents in the deprived areas of the city. A solution which aids a more joined up approach and is able to provide the necessary health information in a powerful and effective form would be beneficial.

Among the current aims to improve health & wellbeing in the city are: to increase physical activity particularly in men aged 35-65; to reduce smoking among young people, pregnant women and routine- and manual-occupational groups; and to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.

Statistics in York show that 16.7% of women giving birth in York smoked during pregnancy and that 30.2% of people in the routine and manual occupation group smoke, making these priority groups for intervention.

Effective ways of communicating these subjects are needed to ensure people identify with the messages and engage with the initiatives.

More information on the health & wellbeing of people in York and current activities: http://www.york.gov.uk/health/yorknhs/