Search

Intro:\ud This report adds qualitative understanding to an earlier report of health and social data for Maryport (Maryport – A left behind community? Health and Social Data Dive).\ud Methods:\ud Qualitative interviews with residents (n=8) and stakeholders (n=7) undertaken from November 2020 to May 2021\ud Findings:\ud This report has focussed on access to resources and services for people living in Maryport; it has shown Maryport to be an underserved community and revealed a range of interconnected challenges relating to education, employment, and connectivity. Many of the points raised by informants resonate with the findings in the CMO’s annual report (DHSC, 2021 ) and the OCSI’s work on ‘Left behind communities’ (2019). \ud Conclusions:\ud Maryport can be seen as a typical, left behind, coastal town. Furthermore, the difficulties faced by Maryport residents can be conceptualised as the wider determinants of their health.

Intro:\ud The Centre for Research in Health and Society (CRiHS) at University of Cumbria wanted to understand the most pressing health inequalities in Cumbria and the factors driving in order to target our research agenda. \ud Methods:\ud Short, online consultation with variety of Cumbrian stakeholders (49 responses).\ud Findings:\ud Inequity in healthcare is apparent in Cumbria; respondents reported uneven access to mental health services, secondary care, ambulance and emergency services as well as differences in commissioning practices across the county. Inequity in health was also reported which was caused by the synergetic effects of multiple (upstream and downstream) factors upon individuals.\ud Conclusions:\ud The provision of healthcare in Cumbria is challenging, as is tackling the wider determinants of health. There is a need for health and wellbeing eco-systems to combine actions at all levels and across sectors, for example, health services (front line, managerial, commissioning), local authorities, local business and VCFSE, together with the development of participation structures for community engagement.