Welcome to the latest edition of our Norfolk Public Health eNewsletter. |
Summer is a truly lovely time to be in Norfolk: our paths, trails, cycle routes and bridleways can take us to beautiful coastlines, through beautiful countryside and around our unique Broads. These provide excellent opportunities to enjoy the sunshine (safely of course) and good weather while becoming more active, which is good for us both physically and mentally. If this sparks your interest you can get more information, from the Get Active This Summer article below.
Summer also brings a distinct set of health challenges that we should be prepared for, including hay fever, insect bites (including ticks) and stings, undercooked BBQ food, sunburn, heatstroke, and dehydration are things we should be aware of and that can be easily prevented or treated without requiring NHS services. And with the music festival season well underway we can also consider some other risks, such as drug and alcohol use; the article on Nitazenes focuses on some of the current concerns that illicit drug use may pose this summer.
On a more positive note, the annual NHS Happy Healthy Holidays campaign, supported by Norfolk County Council and Visit Norfolk, urges residents and holidaymakers enjoying our beaches, country parks and tourist attractions, to look after their health so they can enjoy a happy healthy holiday this summer.
With many people expected to visit Norfolk over the summer, it’s important people who might be unfamiliar with local NHS services, know where to turn if they need help. This will help health staff to manage demand, so services are there for people who need them most. There is lots of help available for people who might be experiencing weather-related issues or need urgent help with their mental or physical health. If you haven’t done so already, do take a look at the Happy Healthy Holidays campaign page.
I hope you enjoy reading this latest edition of our newsletter and have a very pleasant summer. |
Improved sexual health awareness leading to increase in STI testing across Norfolk |
In Norfolk, testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is increasing due to heightened public awareness of the importance of sexual and reproductive health. We recently presented a report to Norfolk County Council’s People and Communities Committee, which revealed that there was a 3.3% increase in testing for STIs across the county in 2023 and that young people aged 15-24 in Norfolk have the highest burden of newly diagnosed STIs, and are more likely to become re-infected. The increase in testing for chlamydia (excluding the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, (NCSP)), gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV, was higher than that seen in the East of England region (3.1%) though lower than the 8.4% increase seen in England. Alongside the increase in testing, new STI diagnoses (excluding those from the NCSP) rose by 2.1% - however this remains markedly below the increase in England (8%). The increase in diagnoses of STIs shows that campaigns to increase testing are having a positive impact. Getting tested leads to faster diagnosis and treatment and in the longer term should lead to a decrease in infections.
The report also contains findings on the county’s long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) rate, showing that prescription per 1,000 of the resident female population aged 15-44 years increased to 54.1 (from 46.5 in 2021), which is markedly higher than the England (44.1) and East of England (43.8) rates.
Conversely, Norfolk’s abortion rate per 1,000 resident female population aged 15-44 years increased to 15.8 in 2021 (from 15.1 in 2020). This remains below both the England (19.2) and East of England (17.8) rates. Meanwhile the recent trend of new HIV diagnoses shows no significant change and late HIV diagnosis remains an issue both in the general population and among gay, bisexual, and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM). Public Health is working towards a five-year vision for Norfolk to ensure residents can make safe, informed choices regarding their reproductive and sexual lives, to know where to access contraception and STI services, receive timely intervention, and to live well regardless of who they are or where they reside.
You can read more on Norfolk Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs Assessment on Norfolk Insight. |
With over 2400 miles of paths, cycle routes and bridleways, Norfolk provides some fantastic ways for people to become more physically active outdoors this summer. Engaging in activities that elevate your heart rate for just 10 minutes at a time can boost both your physical and mental health.
Norfolk County Councils webpages on cycling and walking in Norfolk provide information on routes in Norfolk, how to hire Beryl bikes and e-scooters, help with walking to school, cycling advice and resources. The Norfolk Trails page has information on long, short, and circular walks, cycle routes, coastal treasures, and Access Tested trails for those with less mobility. Norfolk County Council is keen to see walking, wheeling and cycling as the natural choice for shorter journeys, which is a key feature of the Norfolk Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy.
It is recommended by the Chief Medical Officer that adults should do at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate activity or 75 minutes (1.25 hours) of vigorous activity per week, or a combination of both. Sometimes it can be hard to change our habits to get enough regular physical activity into our day – this is where Ready to Change can help.
Ready to Change offers Norfolk residents an opportunity to understand more about your current physical activity levels and learn more about the benefits of being more active. It provides tools to help you set your physical activity goals, to plan for problems, and seek support from the people around you. There are many NHS apps that can also help motivate you to get walking and running.
Other sources of information and support about Physical Activity is available from Active Norfolk, and the Everymove Activity Finder lists lots of opportunities available local to you. |
New Tier 2 Healthy Weight Service for Children, Young People and their Families in Norfolk |
The public health Children and Young People’s Team recently commissioned a new Tier 2 Healthy Weight Service for Children, Young People and their families in Norfolk. This service will start from October 2024 and will deliver a Healthy Weight Service that supports Children and Young People aged 4 to 18 years, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Provision will be delivered by 12 week programmes, using a combination of in person, online and telephone support covering a range of elements including diet, nutrition, behaviour change, and access to physical activities. The provision will work with partners to ensure that children and families can access wider support and that adults in families are supported to engage in Adult Healthy Weight support if needed.
For further information about the service, please contact Public Health Officer Neelam Subba neelam.subba@norfolk.gov.uk |
Sleep Awareness Campaign Reflections |
Our Live smarter. Sleep better campaign about better sleep which ran in May and June 2024 was a great success. The campaign consisted of 5 YouTube shorts aimed at young people aged 14-25 prompting action on improving sleep. With advice from a clinical psychologist from the local mental health trust NSFT, messages were designed with science in mind, giving easily accessible information to the target audience based on how they consume social media. Young people themselves were also engaged in the shaping of the campaign, inputting into the design and development of the campaign videos.
From 23rd May to 21st June 2024, we had a total of 6,786 visitors to sleep-related pages (hosted by Cambridge Community Services for the integrated front door) with an average time spent on the page of 14 seconds. The majority of our visitors accessed our pages through mobile devices, accounting for 91% of the total traffic. Our campaign was particularly successful on TikTok, where we received 4,435 referrals and a total 10,100 clicks with over 200,000 impressions. It delivered a click through rate of 5% which is excellent (1-3% is generally considered good). Our YouTube campaign also performed well, with 27,757 impressions and 5,426 views.
This is a universal prevention intervention identifying easy behaviours to facilitate change. It was a partnership effort, with several organisations involved in honing the campaign. Our next steps are to bring some of the messaging to a broader audience. |
Road Safety: Over 1 in 3 traffic collisions in Norfolk caused by distracted drivers |
Recent road safety figures show that 42% of all driver-related traffic incidents in Norfolk are caused by some form of driver distraction and a loss of concentration at the wheel.
This is not surprising, given that in a recent road safety attitude survey more than half of Norfolk residents (57%) admitted that they had arrived somewhere by car but had no clear recollection of parts of the journey. This indicates that ‘driving on autopilot’ is common, particularly when taking familiar routes, such as driving back home, or on very long journeys.
To help influence drivers’ behaviour and enable more people to travel to their destinations safely; Norfolk County Council Public Health’s Road Safety team have partnered with Drive IQ, Norfolk Police, Norfolk Fire and Rescue, East of England Ambulance Service and experts in behaviour change to launch a Stay Focused campaign offering businesses and drivers access to free online training and resources to improve focus whilst driving.
The Stay Focused campaign highlights the issue of driving on autopilot and offers tips and guidance on how to keep your brain in gear and fully focused on the drive. Our brain’s autopilot is not a good driver and with the evidence that switching our attention from one task to another is exhausting and doing so affects our performance, it has never been so important to remind businesses, drivers and passengers of the practical tips that can improve our focus and safety when we travel. Physical and thought-related distractions can impact our ability to lose focus and drive safely for the whole journey. Norfolk residents self-reported the top three reasons that most likely distracted them whilst driving were: not having sufficient sleep, other adult passengers and using a sat nav.
Driving needs all of your attention, all of the time, so you can reliably react when needed. Losing focus for just a few seconds can have devastating consequences. Having both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road isn’t enough if your mind isn’t also focused on driving. By staying focused and vigilant when we drive and being considerate passengers, we can all play a role ensuring safer journeys for everyone.
The Stay Focused resources are available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/stayfocused and show you how you can train your brain to keep your mind alert when driving. It includes an interactive quiz developed by the Open University to test how focused you are when you drive and a Mind Coach podcast, offering valuable insights and techniques to train the brain for enhanced focus during driving.
Norfolk residents can also access a series of free online driver safety education modules thanks to our partner Drive IQ by visiting their Smarter Driving programme. Visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/stayfocused |
Drug use: Nitazines Risk this Summer |
The music festival season may present attendees with risk around illicit drug use. It is worth noting some of the current concerns regarding the risks that illicit drugs may pose this summer. There are significant concerns both nationally and locally about the rise in use of super strength synthetic opioids (nitazines).
Nitazines have been known to have caused over 150 deaths nationally and there have been cases of fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Norfolk. These have been linked to nitazine contamination in all types of drugs including vapes and pills, not just injectables.
In Norfolk there has also been intelligence indicating an increase in the use of drugs such as Ketamine because of the reduced availability and increased cost of heroin. There are also suggestions that Ketamine has been adulterated with nitazines, greatly increasing the risk of harm.
There has been a recent warning issued over super-strength ecstasy pills containing potentially life-threatening levels of MDMA with young festivalgoers particularly at risk as the potency of pills is much higher than usual. If you or someone you know needs support:
The Matthew Project: Drug and alcohol support for young people • Unity: Service for under 19s who are concerned about their drug and alcohol use • YouCan: Service for under 19s who are concerned about a family members or relatives using drugs/alcohol.
Change Grow Live: Norfolk Alcohol and Drug Behaviour Change Service • Provide drug and alcohol support for over 18s who are concerned about their drug and alcohol use. They also offer support for over 18s who are concerned about someone else’s. |
Norfolk Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs Assessment - June 2024 |
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