The Director of Public Health (DPH) is an advocate for the health of local people. The annual report is a way of giving advice on people's health to both professionals and the public.
As well as being an annual review of public health outcomes and events, the report is also a way of finding key issues. It flags up problems and reports progress.
Past reports have covered:
- how the pandemic affected children and young people living in Barnsley - 'What matters to me, now'
- how people felt about their physical and mental health via a single diary entry - 'A day in the life of'
- an insight into the impact of loneliness on our residents’ lives in a digital world - 'Are you contactless?'
This year, the report has taken a different approach. It looks in depth at how the council has responded to the cost of living crisis, to reduce the impact on people’s health, both now and in the future.
You can't escape news about the cost of living crisis. It’s been the main topic of many news channels for some time now. Tackling poverty and addressing the related inequalities is not new for us as a council. It's at the heart of our public health practice. However, the scale of the current crisis is extraordinary.
Our report looks back at key actions taken during 2022. It gives details on the work of the teams in the council and its partners who've been instrumental in responding to the cost of living crisis - to the public, council staff and partners.
We'll continue to deliver a response to the crisis through 2023. We'll also develop longer term approaches that help reduce poverty in our communities.