Health & Well-being in Ashley, Bristol Local Case Study

When was the NHS founded and what are the three stages?

• 1948

• Primary care~: The first point of contact, typically GPs (General Practitioners), essential for early diagnosis.

• Secondary care provided by hospitals offering specialist care such as cardiology.

• Tertiary care provided in regional or national centres offering highly specialised treatment.

What are integrated care systems?

ICSs are partnership that bring together NHS organisations, local authorities, and others to plan and deliver joined-up health and care services across a local area.

Where and what is in Ashley Ward?

• St Pauls carnival and community centre.

• Centrally located in Bristol, featuring part of Stokes croft and key transport routes like the A38.

• Also section of the M32 motorway runs along eastern boundary of Ashley ward.

What is noise pollution like in Ashley Ward and the impacts of the M32 motorway?

Significant noise pollution as lower ashley and nearby areas are described as the noisiest in Bristol due to traffic. Chronic noise leads to stress, sleep disturbance and reduced well-being.

What are the green spaces in Ashley Ward?

• St Andrew’s Park is a key local park within Ashley Ward, providing recreational space for residents.

What are the IMD stats for Ashley Ward?

• Includes wards in most deprived decile in England such and wards such as St Paul’s Grosvenor Road which are less deprived.

• Large variations.

What are the ethnicity and diversity for Ashley Ward?

• Approximately 33.5% of Ashley residents identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME)

• Ashley’s BAME proportion (~33.5%) is higher than the Bristol city average (~19.9%).

• Ethnic Group Breakdown (2021 Census)

  • White: ~13,960

  • Asian: ~1,416

  • Black: ~2,787

• Around 23.8% of residents were born outside the UK, compared with ~18.8% for Bristol overall (2021 Census)

What is the age structure in Ashley Ward?

• Largest adult group remains 25–49 years (~9,776) and 18–24 (~4,867).

• Ashley has a higher proprotion of young adults.

What is life expectancy and health in Bristol?

• Ashley sits within the Inner City and East area, where life expectancy for males (approx. 76.5 years) is lower than the broader Bristol average (~78.1 years)

What is housing tenure in Ashley Ward?

• Home ownership in Ashley is relatively low at ~38% of households.

• There is a high proportion of private rented accommodation and flats — around 50% of dwellings are flats, many with one bedroom or fewer.

• Overcrowding is an issue, with ~10% of households overcrowded.

What is quality of life in Ashley Ward?

• 85.1% of Ashley residents report being satisfied with their local area (higher than the Bristol average ~75.1%)

• Only ~11.6% are satisfied with how crime is tackled (Bristol avg ~22.3%)

What is air pollution perceived like in Ashley Ward?

• 95% of residents said air quality and traffic pollution was a problem in their area.

• Ashley ward has some of the worst perceived air quality in Bristol.

What air pollution did the M25 lead to?

• Parts of the area around the M32 exceed NO2 ad PM2.5 levels preventing health problems for residents.

What have been the health impacts of air pollution?

• In Bristol overall 6-10% of deaths have been attributed in some aspect to long term PM2.5 exposure.

What is inequality like in Ashley?

• Ashley ward has some of the most deprived and affluent areas in Bristol.

• Parts of the ward fall into the most deprived decile nationally.

• This leads to health inequalities as more well off people have better access to healthier food, reduced stress, smoke less and exercise more.

What part of Ashley ward is most deprived?

St Paul’s is often cited as the most deprived portion of Ashley Ward.

Why does more deprivation increase exposure to environmental risk?

• More deprived streets are closer to major roads across the area.

• This increases exposure to air pollution leading to higher rates of asthma and carcinogenics increasing cancer risk.

• Also it increases noise pollution leading to more stress and poorer health.

Why do more deprived people have greater long term exposure to air and noise pollution?

• Because poor people are often located in council housing and lack funds to easily move locations.

• This means people often remain in these areas exposed continually for long periods increasing the risk factor.

What else occurs with density in Ashley Ward?

• More dense populations lead to smaller areas to live in which contributes to limited private outdoor space.

• This means that there is reduced opportunity for exercise, higher stress and more sedentary lifestyles.

What are socioeconomic factors influencing health?

• Income levels

• Deprivation

• Education

• Job security

• Poverty

What are physical factors influencing health?

• Air quality and pollution

• Traffic and noise pollution

• Green space and parks

• Housing density and design

• Access to recreational space

What is the health profile of an area?

• Life expectancy

• Rate of illness

• Mental health

• Chronic disease

• Wellbeing

• Health inequalities

What percent of houses in Ashley Ward are overcrowded?

Around 10%

What percentage of households do not own a car?

40% which can limit access to healthcare and facilities such as gyms promoting poorer health and promoting sedentary lifestyles.