Coventry Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-2026

Our health behaviours are important drivers of health. These modifiable behaviours include smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise. Prioritising the prevention of illness is one of the key commitments across both Coventry and Warwickshire and we are addressing this through aligning and co-ordinating prevention programmes across the local authority and NHS system to maximise impact and tackle barriers to healthy lifestyle choices. Within the Integrated Care System, the population health & inequalities prevention board was established to address this area of public health.

Physical activity

• Prevention of ill-health and promotion of wellbeing continues to be at the heart of every NHS and local government pathway and in Coventry, this is reflected in the collaborative approach with the voluntary and community organisations promoting physical activity & active travel through events such as the Wellbeing For Life festival. Sport & physical activity plays a key role not only in improving our mental & physical wellbeing, but in creating opportunities for people to make new connections, reduce social isolation and bring communities together. Across the city there are a wealth of free and low cost opportunities for residents of all age to participate in sport & physical activity.
• In 2022, Coventry was successful in securing funding through the Commonwealth Active Communities Fund. The aim of the funding is to tackle inactivity in local communities and engage underrepresented groups by delivering physical activities in parks and green spaces, care homes and with street closures. This investment has created further opportunities for local organisations in the city to reduce isolation and loneliness by delivering more physical activity opportunities in a community setting as part of Coventry Moves on your doorstep. The Public Health team continues to work closely with the Sports Development team in the Council on this agenda.
• Social prescribing in Coventry has created further opportunities for residents to make choices about their lifestyles to improve mental and physical health and self-esteem through participating in a range of wellbeing activities including sport & physical activity.
• Coventry continues to host a number of exciting citywide events to showcase local physical activity opportunities. Sports Fest is in its 11th year and most recently had over 15,000 residents taking part in sport and physical activity during the festival which is the highest attendance the event has ever had.

Taking action on childhood obesity

As a Marmot City, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the best start in life, and we are continuing to take action to support families to make healthy lifestyle choices. Supporting research into the prevention of ill health forms a key part of this and Coventry is part of a NIHR study to test the effectiveness of the MapMe intervention alongside the current NCMP invitation letter.

Childhood obesity in Coventry remains higher than the England average and is most prevalent in the most deprived areas of the city which mirrors the national picture of obesity and socioeconomic status. This research provides a unique opportunity to understand motivations and barriers around accessing weight management services for children.

Alcohol and substance misuse

• Liver disease is one of the top causes of death in England and people are dying from it at younger ages. In Coventry, the hospital admission rate is increasing and getting worse at 52.4 (per 100,000) which is higher than the regional and national average.
• The government’s new 10-year drug and alcohol strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ sets out an ambition to address substance misuse by breaking drug supply chains, delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system and achieving a generational shift in demand for drugs. A new Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG) has been issued to Local Authorities to enhance the delivery of treatment and recovery systems.
• The following is a summary of projects in the city that have been invested in as a result of this funding:
  • Creating a dedicated criminal justice team within Change Grow Live (CGL) (Coventry’s commissioned adult drug and alcohol treatment service) and employing a substance misuse worker embedded in the Caludon Centre
  • Employing an additional worker within Positive Choices (Coventry’s commissioned Young People’s risky behaviour service) to focus on supporting individuals engaged in County Lines activity
  • Employing a worker within the Housing and Homelessness team of the City Council to coordinate the multiagency Vulnerable Persons Forum
  • Introducing the use of long-acting opiate substitute therapy
  • Distributing additional naloxone (an intervention to reverse the effects of opiate overdose)
  • Providing additional residential rehabilitation placements

Sexual Health

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust offer an Integrated Sexual Health Service (ISHS) which help with providing care and advice on sexually transmitted infections and contraception in the city. Increasing sexual health testing continues to be a priority in Coventry, particularly as data from 2021 indicates that detection rates for chlamydia and HIV testing are decreasing in the city[1]. There is a commitment across Coventry & Warwickshire to work with communities to continue to shape services with a focus on reducing inequalities and improving engagement, which include:

• Provision of free & confidential services (including for under 16s) which include clinic-based appointments and drop-in, outreach services in the community and fully comprehensive HIV care.
• Provision of free condoms and Chlamydia screening for 13–25-year-olds living in Coventry through the C-Card scheme.
• Provision of free postal STI kits that can be ordered by Coventry residents.