Best Buy: Local Extension of Healthy Start Scheme Kate Parker Public Health, NHS Kirklees
Replaced Welfare Food Scheme 2007 A statutory scheme A nutritional safety net Encourages breastfeeding/healthy eating A public health tool
Pregnant women and families with children under four getting: income support, or Income based JSA, or Income related employment and support allowance, or Child tax credit with an annual family income of £16,190 or less All pregnant under 18 year olds.
Vouchers: Vitamins: Liquid milk For women Fresh fruit and veg For children Infant formula milk And info on breastfeeding and healthy eating
Vitamin part of the scheme only Any pregnant women and families who live in: Batley, Birstall and Birkenshaw Dewsbury Huddersfield Spen valley Regardless of family income Also open to asylum seekers
Helping to improve uptake of the national healthy start scheme alongside the local scheme. Provider responsible and has a designated role of promoting the scheme, stock control, delivery of stock. The provider has the responsibility of getting venues on board to become distribution points (Children’s Centre’s, pharmacies, Health Centre’s)
The provider is responsible for creating referral pathways and liaising with Health Visitors, Midwives, GP’s, Nurses and reception staff to refer into the scheme. To summarise, the local scheme has a provider, who has a designated role to implement the scheme, instead of it being one of many responsibilities of a health care professional/administrator.
YearManagement costCost of supplements 1£53,070£100,930 2£55,977£110,023 3£56,884£121,116
Rickets: £2,600 a year to treat. In Kirklees, 52 cases of rickets per year Total cost: £135,200 Spinal bifida can cost between £487,000 - £882,000. Hoping to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of the scheme by writing a clinical impact assessment on this up-stream, preventative approach.
To date, the scheme has had 5,757 referrals (been ‘live’ for 4 quarters now). Figures imply the local scheme has also improved national uptake (enhancing awareness/publicity/promotion) All Midwives and Health Visitors are referring into the scheme 25 Children’s Centre’s and 23 Pharmacies are distribution points All Health Centre’s are distribution points Slowly getting GP Practices on board.
Thank you Any questions? Kate Parker