Section 5: How the Gateshead MECC Approach Has Challenged Inequalities

Health Status:

Raising awareness of the differences in life expectancy across the borough using ward data has highlighted to local people the types of health conditions that impact upon their lives and what aspects they can take control of.

Access to Services:

MECC has enabled people to know how to sign post people to relevant and varied services that can support people with life generally and when in crisis. It also has discussed accessibility for the most marginalised and vulnerable communities

Behavioural Risk Factors:

MECC training embeds the key messages on how to have a conversation around alcohol, mental health, tobacco, physical activity. Our sessions on healthy weight, nutrition, food and mood, vitamins and minerals, menopause and drugs have enabled people to become competent as brief advisors and be aware of why behaviour change is a complex process and requires support and planning

Socio-economic Factors:

Income is a barrier that is discussed in every topic and the implication this has on inequalities. MECC discusses opportunities to gain support from local services and organisations as well as sharing ideas to help alleviate some of the issues regarding income for example: cooking on a budget and meal planning, free physical activities such as benefits of walking, wellbeing ideas that are local and free. 

Geography:

MECC helps local people and local services consider their environment and what is available, which often highlights gaps in provision as well as some of the factors that contribute towards lifestyle choices and influences of standard of living. The neighbourhoods where MECC organisations deliver their support are across all the most deprived areas of Gateshead.

Specific Characteristics:

Most of the challenges for MECC and inequalities come from the specific characteristics and differences in healthy life expectancy and disability free life expectancy. Many of the MECC trained organisations use a human approach to support their community members with various long-term conditions, disabilities, diverse ethnicities, gender focused or age specific requirements. They have the expertise to adapt their methodology and resources to be suitable for brief interventions but also for more extended and expert interventions. Adapting key Public health information for dissemination by MECC organisations has taken 3 years of building two-way trust, respect and rapport to become a partnership approach.

Wider Determinants of Health:

Income, housing, transport, education, environment and employment are the principal drivers for most MECC organisations. They support people daily with the impacts they experience as a consequence of general life. The influence of high concentrations of fast food outlets, fuel poverty, lower educational attainments, low income and the effects from high levels of anti-social behaviour in the communities where they live, all result in poorer mental, physical health and social health.