WIREDGOV

Using body mass index (BMI) to help prevent long-term conditions in minority ethnic groups and improving access to health and social care services are the topics of NICE's latest set of local government public health briefings.

NICE's local government public health briefings aim to help local authorities with their newly devolved role in improving the health of their communities. The briefings summarise NICE recommendations for local authorities and partner organisations on a range of public health topics.

Among the latest set of briefings is advice to help local authorities reduce the high levels of certain chronic conditions among people from minority ethnicities.

People from black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are up to 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or stroke, and 50 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those in the wider population.

To address this issue the briefing recommends lower BMI thresholds as a trigger for intervening to prevent ill health among adults from minority ethnicities.

These thresholds are 23 kg/m² BMI or more as the threshold for increased risk of chronic conditions, and 27.5 kg/m² BMI or more for high risk of chronic conditions, compared with the usual thresholds of 25 kg/m² and 30 kg/m² recommended for intervening with white European adults.

Further examples of recommendations include developing an integrated regional and local plan, and promoting early intervention among black, Asian and other minority groups.

Professor Mike Kelly, Director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE, said: "Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke are potentially life-threating conditions, which people of African, Caribbean and Asian descent and other minority ethnicities are significantly more likely to develop than the wider population. So it's vital that local authorities are supported in taking action to prevent these illnesses in people who have a high risk of developing them.

"As well as improving the health and wellbeing of individuals, taking effective action now also reduces future demand on health and social care services by enabling people to remain as independent as possible."

The NICE local government public health briefing on improving access to health and social care services for people who do not routinely use them, aims to ensure that services can meet the sometimes complex needs of local people in their area.

There are various reasons why some people may not be accessing health and social care services. This could be due to the way that the services are structured and delivered, for example in terms of location and opening times.

Population characteristics may also play a role, with those that are homeless, seeking asylum, or who speak English only as a second language more likely to have limited access to health and social care services.

Addressing health inequalities not only allows such people to access services they may need but are missing, but can also lead to cost savings. The cost of treating illness and disease arising from this estimated at £5.5 billion per year in England, leading to productivity losses of between £31-33 billion per year.

NICE says that by reconfiguring services to meet the health needs of their local populations, local authorities can reduce health inequalities and address the costs associated with ill health.

The briefing contains links to a range of NICE recommendations that can help tackle health inequalities. These include considering the population characteristics of people who are not routinely accessing services, and assessing local need.

Professor Kelly said: "Being able to, or feeling able to use local health and social care services is something that not everyone can take for granted. There might be logistical reasons - such as where the service is located or its opening times - which make it hard for people to go along when they need to.

"This briefing will help local authorities across the country provide services which address scenarios like this, by catering for the needs of all people in their community, to improve health and wellbeing, save money and reduce health inequalities."