areas including the promotion of breastfeeding and reducing obesity. Significant progress is also being made on specialist community and mental health services. The information and ambitions set out in this plan establish a clear set of goals for NHS Kirklees and our partners, which in turn sets the direction of travel for investment and service delivery. It also provides a benchmark against which to consider proposals and plans in the interim. The ambition is to build on existing successes and to continue to drive improvements in local health and to reduce inequalities (by the effective targeting of investment) between different Kirklees communities and localities. These will be further developed progressively in successive business and operational plans over the period.
4.3 Demographic Overview Population Kirklees comprises both urban and rural communities with a total population of over 400,000 which is both increasing and ageing. By 2018, the population is predicted to increase by 8%, exceeding the projected increase of 6% forecast within the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The towns and valleys of Kirklees have their own strong and distinct identities and contain a rich and diverse mixture of cultures and faiths. This diversity, coupled with our complex links to major regional centres, creates unique opportunities and challenges for our district. The population is relatively stable, although there has been some immigration – e.g. Kurdish and Hungarian immigrants mainly based in Dewsbury and Polish immigrants 16
settling in Huddersfield. Often, these immigrant populations have particularly challenging health needs (especially in the case of asylum seekers and refugees) and we need to consider these needs in planning services. Kirklees has a diverse ethnic mix, with a higher proportion of our population from an ethnic minority than for England as a whole. It is difficult to be precise about specific numbers of people across ethnic groups but estimated figures in 2005 indicate that 15.5% of Kirklees’ population is from an ethnic minority, compared to the England average of 10.9%. The biggest such local populations are those with Pakistani (6.9%) or Indian (4.2%) origins.
4.4 Reducing Health Inequalities Health Inequalities are health differences between people which can be changed. Change depends on the control that people felt they have over factors that prevent ill health, as well as the opportunities they feel they have to control such factors. If we are to make a difference and narrow the Health Inequalities gap, we need to: • be person centred, focusing on equality of outcomes; • involve local people in creating and delivering solutions; • work closely with partners to ensure current needs are met and there is adequate provision for the future; • target our actions more effectively to ensure we reach those most in need; • establish clear programmes which support older people and those with long term conditions to address the challenge of a growing ageing population; • target our resources to reduce inappropriate variations in investment