Health Equity Audit: case studies

This section provides links to a number of HEA case studies from the East Midlands and elsewhere. In many cases, the HEAs are incomplete in that the work has yet to reach stages 5 and 6, completing the HEA cycle. This is partly a reflection of the time needed to implement change (Stage 5) and assess impact (Stage 6) but probably also reflects reality in that gap analysis/equity profiling and action planning work (Stages 2-4) may not always lead to service changes or other action. Some of the success criteria for stimulating change are highlighted in the Learning from Practice Briefing.

Case Studies in the Learning from Practice Briefing include:

• teenage pregnancy (Sunderland)
• primary care workforce (Manchester)
• health visitor services (1. East Cambridgeshire and Fenland, 2. Sheffield West)
• district nursing services for the over-75s (Sheffield West)
• smoking cessation (Luton)
• coronary heart disease (1. Hull and East Riding, 2. Plymouth)
• cardiac revascularisation services (Islington)
• rapid-access chest-pain clinics (Camden)
• mental health services for adults of working age and older people (Huddersfield)

Case studies from the East Midlands

• Secondary Care Services for Adult Mental Health in Nottingham City
• Stop Smoking Services
• Stop Smoking Services (geo-demographic profiling method)
  An equity profile of stop smoking services in Nottingham using geo-demographic (Mosaic) profiling preparing the ground for the use of social marketing techniques to address gaps in uptake. See also de Gruchy J, Robinson J. Stop-smoking service benefits from geodemographic profiling. British Journal of Healthcare Computing and Information Management. 2007;(24)1.
• Pharmacies in Erewash
• Access to common surgical procedures
• Food Access Mapping in Ashfield and Mansfield. Although not described as an HEA, this case study has many parallels with HEA.

Case studies from other regions

• A regional seminar hosted by North East PHO in December 2006 included case studies on stop smoking services and revascularisation.
• Yorkshire and Humber PHO’s webpages include a number of case studies relating to cancer and cancer services.

Other HEA case studies include:

• Cervical cytology (Newham PCT)
• Exercise in East Birmingham PCT’s Population
• Sexual Health Services (Beds and Herts PCTs)