The Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, has visited the East Riding, including Driffield, to research health and wellbeing in rural communities for his upcoming annual report.
The East Riding has welcomed Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, as he gathered research on the health and wellbeing of residents living in rural areas.
The visit forms a crucial part of Professor Whitty’s research for his upcoming annual report, which is set to focus heavily on the health of people residing in small towns and rural communities.
During his tour of the region, Professor Whitty visited Driffield Leisure Centre, where he took the time to meet with local community groups and residents to hear about their experiences first-hand.
His itinerary also included stops at Beverley Library to view its health and wellbeing room, sensory room, and digital inclusion offerings, as well as visits to the Humber Bridge Wellbeing Hub and the Inclusion Health and Suicide Prevention Outreach programme.
Throughout the visit, partners from East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the Integrated Care Board, and the Community and Voluntary Sector outlined how various communities are supported across the large geographical area.
Andy Kingdom, East Riding’s Director of Public Health, highlighted a conditions of living approach to health and wellbeing. He explained that factors such as housing, education, employment, transport, and the environment all play a significant part in the overall health of the population.
The visit concluded with an in-depth discussion exploring what rural health inequalities look like in practice. Officials talked about what national policy can sometimes miss when dealing with dispersed geographies, alongside sustainability and future challenges for the region.
Councillor Jonathan Owen, Cabinet Member for adult social care and health, expressed his gratitude for the visit and the opportunity to showcase local initiatives.
He said:
"It was a significant day to be able to show the Chief Medical Officer for England, first-hand, what we’re doing in the East Riding to prevent, reduce and delay the need for health and care services, and enable residents to live longer, happier and healthier lives.
It was also a chance to share the challenges that come with such a large geographical Local Authority area. I’m pleased that the East Riding will help inform Professor Whitty’s next annual report focusing on small towns and rural communities."
The Chief Medical Officer praised the efforts of local health teams in overcoming the hurdles of delivering care across such a vast area.
Professor Whitty said:
"It was a real pleasure to visit the East Yorkshire public health team and partners to learn from them. Delivering public health across a large, dispersed geography is difficult, but I was struck by the innovative and creative ways the local team is rising to this challenge.
They are doing remarkable work to support the health of people in East Yorkshire."
Professor Whitty's annual report, incorporating his findings from the East Riding, is scheduled to be published at the end of the year.
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