THE recent BBC documentary Get Rich or Die Young did much to stimulate debate around health issues in Stockton-on-Tees.

External causes of health inequalities are many and varied and require everyone to work together.

Nutrition advice and cooking skills need to be taught from a young age, awareness of and recognition of the early signs of stress and mental health issues in young people, with sufficient resources available for help to be provided quickly and effectively.

There is a wide range of health advice and screening programmes available but the take up rate can be low and work needs to be done to understand the reasons for this.

We need a National Health Service that doesn’t just get involved when there are problems, and a National Wellbeing Service starting when babies are still in the womb.

There was an opportunity for all Stockton councillors to discuss the issues raised by the study carried out by Public Health England at the full council meeting in July but instead, the meeting was cancelled as it was felt by council leaders that there was nothing important to discuss. What could be more important than the health and wellbeing of our residents?

Julia Cherrett, Eaglescliffe