A medical chief has spoken of his hope that new health plans will help with the area’s “horrendous” issues with alcohol.

The difficulties were raised as the latest draft of a new five-year health and wellbeing strategy, aimed at improving health and narrowing inequalities in Stockton, was discussed by councillors.

It aims to give children and families the best start in life, a healthy standard of living, and long and healthy lives.

It also aims to bring the council together with other organisations and communities and see how they can work together better and how all policies affect people’s health.

The high-level plans at a time when Stockton, Teesside’s largest borough, has some of the most deprived areas in the country, with 19 per cent of children living in “absolute low-income families”, and one of the widest gaps in life expectancies between its poorest and most affluent areas – an almost 17-year gap for men, 18-and-a-half years for women.

Ingleby Barwick East has the highest life expectancy – 84 years for men, 90 for women – while Stockton town centre has the lowest – 72 years for women, and just 67 for men.

Rates of children in care, childhood obesity, and teenage pregnancy rates are higher than the national average, but Stockton children fare better than average on their levels of development.

The new plan makes commitments including support and protection for children, tackling poverty, housing and job inequalities, health in neighbourhoods, green spaces, leisure facilities, travel and air quality, protection from domestic violence, community networks, and help with loneliness, isolation, and complex needs.

With “significantly higher” numbers than average going into hospital for alcohol-related conditions, it also aims to reduce harm from alcohol, drugs, smoking, and obesity and combat mental health stigma.

It says “health is everybody’s business” and aims to tailor services to communities, root them in places using local knowledge, focus on prevention and early intervention, and level the playing field to “leave no one behind”.

It also talks of taking “measured risks”, changing course when needed and respecting the rights of communities to get involved as much as they want.

Public health consultant Sid Wong said they focused on the “building blocks” of health like communities, housing and income with what was done across the system: “We’ve really tried to bring that together, join the dots.

From that, asking questions, challenging ourselves, where are we making the greatest impact and where are the most obvious opportunities that we should be taking?

He told Stockton Council’s health and wellbeing board they wanted to find out where they could do better: “We’ve had a number of conversations within the council and also outside in terms of making sure we are getting the voices of partners and others feeding in.

"We’ve also made sure it speaks to almost the voice of the communities.

“We have done numerous consultations, either for health needs assessments, service reviews or the residents’ survey. We’ve tried to pick out the themes that communities have been telling us.

“We need to make sure the language speaks to the general population. We’ve tried to keep it as concise as possible.

“We’ve tried to prioritise, but it is broad. There is an awful lot we can do or we should be doing. We have tried to make a few choices in terms of where we think are probably the biggest areas of impact.”

Deepak Dwarakanath, medical director for the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If we get all of this right we’ll be less busy.” He asked about smoking and alcohol, saying: “That is to us one of our biggest issues.

“The alcohol stuff we’re seeing these days is absolutely horrendous really.”

Head of public health Sarah Bowman-Abouna said the 16-page strategy, their third, had been developed in workshops: “We’ve done a lot since the first one. The next step will be to bring the delivery plan.”

A more “user-friendly” version of the strategy will be produced and its final version will go to leaders in the council’s cabinet.

The alcohol stuff we’re seeing these days is absolutely horrendous really.”

Head of public health Sarah Bowman-Abouna said the 16-page strategy, their third, had been developed in workshops: “We’ve done a lot since the first one. The next step will be to bring the delivery plan.”

A more “user-friendly” version of the strategy will be produced and its final version will go to leaders in the council’s cabinet.