Public Health Commissioning Intentions

NHS health checks

(A health check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74, designed to spot early signs of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia).

• Continue to work with Primary Care to support them to deliver NHS Health Checks, including working with the LMC and LPC
• Implement NHS Health Check Training for practitioners in Norfolk, influenced by the outcome of a Training Needs Analysis being completed in 2023/24
• Implement recommendations and findings from our 2023/24 evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of our catch-up and health & wellbeing support programmes
• Continue to deliver on the ambitions set-out in our NHS Health Check Improvement Programme, to increase overall numbers receiving an NHS Health Check, particularly amongst those with the highest need and greatest disparities.

Stop smoking services

(Practical and treatment support to aid quitting smoking through accurate information and advice and through individual support by expert advisers providing a range of proven evidence-based interventions and community pharmacies).

Norfolk County Council public health will continue to invest in stop smoking and tobacco control services, with particular focus on:

Overarching developments

• Commission and embed an increasing range of stop smoking initiatives and interventions in response to evolving national policy, increased government investment, and aligned to local need
• Working with the Norfolk & Waveney NHS ICB to develop a robust system and service offer in Norfolk that includes implementing the commitments of the NHS Long Term Plan, including supporting pregnant women and patients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
• Develop a Level 2 Training Programme for smoking advisors.

Specialist stop smoking service

• Mobilise a new specialist stop smoking service following our 2023/24 procurement exercise. The service will have a focus on the Core 20 plus 5 and Inclusion Health groups, and deliver both outreach and in-reach sessions to increase the engagement
• Service will develop a hybrid approach to vape delivery, maintaining existing voucher schemes with direct supply where appropriate.

Community (Level 2) stop smoking service

• Develop, commission and mobilise a new Community Level 2 service, utilising our 2023/24 launched Healthy Lifestyles Framework
• Service will offer community based delivery, in 1-1 and group settings, accepting self-referrals alongside those from specialist services.

Tier 2 weight management services

(Practical support to eligible individuals, helping them to lose weight and decrease the health risks associated with obesity through targeted advice, information and interventions on diet, nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and behaviour change techniques).

• Fully embed our 2023/24 commissioned Tier 2 Weight Management Services, including promotion of its direct access facility through our Ready to Change platform
• Continue working with NHS ICB commissioning and local acute care partners to develop a robust service offer, and support the mobilisation of the NHS' own Tier 2 digital Weight Management Programme
• Work with ICB colleagues to develop and promote an improved Weight Management System in Norfolk through local communications and/or campaigns. 

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH)

(Offering both contraceptive care and the testing & treatment of sexually transmitted infections, SRH services are available through GPs; Community Pharmacies; and our specialist iCaSH clinics across Norfolk, which are open to anyone present in our county).

Following completion of our 2023/24 strategic review of SRH services in Norfolk, and in-light of government policy announcements, in 2024/25 we will concentrate on:

Addressing Health Inequalities

• Working with our NHS ICB and other partners, to increase awareness of and lowering barriers in access to our Pharmacy, GP, and wider community-based services and our specialist clinical provisions
• Targeted introduction of Level 2 services, based on geographic and demographic need.

Prevention & Behaviour Change

• Raise awareness and provide information about sexual health issues that may impact on individuals and their wider community
• Increasing the knowledge, confidence and skills of our residents so that they can negotiate, build and maintain safe & healthy sexual relationships
• Utilise best practice to engage with high-need groups & vulnerable communities (face to face & digitally), to increase the confidence of individuals at risk of poor SRH outcomes to engage with our services & wider support.

Clinical Services

• Work with our ICB partners to consider opportunities for greater alignment of SRH commissioning in Norfolk
• Scope and introduction of appropriate interventions for the sexual health aspects of psychosexual need
• Support for high need groups and vulnerable communities, including working together across the Norfolk system to implement the governments Women's Health Strategy.

Drug & Alcohol Misuse and Dependence

(Services offering specialist clinical treatment and behaviour change approach to tackling drug and alcohol use across Norfolk, and broader work with system partners to increase success of our interventions and lessen the impact of addiction on our communities).

• Build and develop the work of the Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Partnership, to inform local policy and practice whilst continuing to implement the National Commissioning Quality Standards; and From Harm to Hope (10-year National Drug Strategy 2021)
• Develop Norfolk's drug and alcohol system, including increasing numbers in treatment and achieving national performance outcomes
• Scope and commission, as appropriate, intervention(s) that support those affected by low level alcohol consumption preventing a deterioration in their ability to manage their drinking and increasing the likelihood of their needing specialist, clinical interventions
• Continue to embed practice in the Housing Related Support and Gt Yarmouth Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Services
• Implement a Norfolk Service User/ Experts by Experience service, to ensure the voices of service users, parents, carers and friends are heard and inform future policy and practice
• Continue to jointly lead with the ICB the LTP Joint Forward Plan Priority for Dual Diagnosis to deliver on Year-1 objectives.