Case studies

Two years ago Leeds suffered an outbreak of measles. There were more than 30 confirmed cases in just three months, prompting an emergency response to contain the spread and get unvaccinated children immunised quickly. Since then, the city has worked hard to drive up vaccination rates more generally – and taking pro-vaccination messages direct to the public has played a key role.

Slough Borough Council has supported a local partnership, involving the fire service and school immunisation team, to run pop-up vaccination clinics.

Despite social care staff being eligible for the flu jab, uptake has remained low. In Wakefield only between 2 per cent and 7 per cent of staff have come forward for their jab in recent years. But that is now changing thanks to work by the council’s public health team and its partners.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has sought to be innovative in the way it promotes the benefits of flu and routine vaccinations to children and their families. This has included the use of online videos and storybooks.

A stand-alone Recovery Hub has been established as part of Sutton’s substance misuse service. It is situated away from the main treatment clinic giving clients a sense of progress and achievement when they get there, while providing them with the on-going support they need to stay alcohol-free.

Staff from Gateshead’s substance misuse service have a presence at the borough’s main hospital four days a week. This gives them a chance to identify and engage patients who have alcohol-related problems.

New ways of engaging young people are being explored in Lancashire thanks to a government-funded project. Non-alcohol specialist staff are getting extra training and early intervention work is taking place with teenagers and families.

Leeds has integrated its substance misuse services – and this is helping boost innovation. Support is being moved into GP centres, there is an enhanced family service and a new team to work with those with earlystage alcohol problems.

Oxfordshire’s substance misuse has seen an improvement in performance for clients with alcohol problems after re-organising the way clinics are delivered. The service introduced segmentation – grouping together clinics with similar clients.

Alcohol services have been changed in east Kent thanks to a co-design process involving staff, service users, local people and stakeholders. It has led to more consistency in services, boosted innovation and improved performance.