Overview

Following the January 2023 presentation ‘Rural Health and Wellbeing in the East Riding’ made at the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, this document acts as a rapid needs assessment, expanding on some of the themes presented at that meeting. While the previous years have been greatly dominated by responding to COVID-19, pre-existing and enduring health challenges have continued. As overall life expectancy in the East Riding of Yorkshire has fallen for men and women, there are increasing life expectancy disparities between rural, urban and coastal communities.

Using a population health approach, the health and care partnership acknowledges that improving the health of our population constitutes improving wider determinants of health by working alongside communities and partner organisations. Therefore, impacts of diverse factors ranging socioeconomic, demographic, transport, housing, employment and others are recognised as significantly shaping local health outcomes.
The East Riding of Yorkshire covers a vast area consisting mostly of rural areas as well as coastal communities. Distinct local identities mean that contextual factors are key to developing initiatives and improving health outcomes. This rapid needs assessment aims to introduce local needs, challenges and potential solutions across the rural, urban and coastal communities within the East Riding.

The report is also intended to form the basis of further investigation to improve health inequalities across these communities. While a satisfactory evidence base exists to contrast rural and urban outcomes, there is a distinct lack of evidence comparing coastal living. Partially due to a lack of definition for “coastal” environments, many sources of evidence risk masking inequalities due to aggregation of coastal communities with dissimilar in-land populations. Consequently, it is important to continue local action to generate additional knowledge regarding coastal health inequalities.

Key points from the document

The document can be viewed and downloaded below, after this summary of key points:

• East Riding coastal communities face several health challenges, including high rates of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, mental health issues linked to social isolation and economic stress, obesity linked to poor diet and limited access to healthy food, and substance abuse. Smoking rates are also generally higher. Environmental factors like flooding and climate change, an ageing population, and limited access to healthcare services further impact health outcomes. Seasonal and unstable employment also contribute to these challenges.

• Rural areas face challenges such as limited access to healthcare due to fewer facilities and staffing shortages, an ageing population increasing demand for services, and higher rates of mental health issues potentially due to social isolation. Additionally, long distances to emergency services, transportation challenges, and economic insecurity due to limited job opportunities further impact these communities.