Public health
Grenfell Public Health Programme
Our public health commitments to the Grenfell Recovery Programme include:
- Population health monitoring: to track the health and wellbeing of residents in North Kensington over a long period of time using NHS data. The focus is on health conditions, medication that has been prescribed and the use of services. Patients cannot be identified from this data.
- A five-year health and wellbeing survey: to understand the community’s experience of the ongoing impact of the Grenfell tragedy. The survey focuses on perceptions around health, wellbeing, and recovery. It helps shape services according to local need.
Population health monitoring in North Kensington
Population health monitoring tracks the health and wellbeing of the population in Notting Dale over a long period of time. It uses NHS data and compares it to similar locations to identify changing needs. The Public Health Team have access to NHS data (as processors) to monitor GP and health data and identify any key trends or changes.
North Kensington Health and Wellbeing Survey
Launched in 2018, the survey enables us to understand the community's experience of the ongoing impact of the Grenfell tragedy. It was conducted over the course of 5 years. Initially we surveyed over 2,000 residents living within 1,000 metres of the Tower. Over the years this number has fluctuated but we have managed to collect and maintain enough information to help paint a picture. The survey was co-designed with academic partners, and residents were also involved in carrying out the survey.
The survey focuses on adults, including questions around mental and physical wellbeing, use of resources and community support. It helps us understand the needs of residents based on their experience, and it captures those who may not seek medical support.
The findings from the survey will help inform the Future Grenfell Support that will be on offer from September 2024. It will also influence partnership working, projects and programmes in the local area both within Public Health’s remit and beyond.
Grenfell Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)
A JSNA is an assessment of health and wellbeing needs within a community. In the wake of the tragedy, the Grenfell JSNA draws on disaster recovery literature as well as available health and wellbeing data and community insights.
We first published a Journey of Recovery JSNA in 2018, the year following the tragedy. The purpose was to build an understanding of the impact of the Grenfell tragedy on bereaved and survivors and residents.
We have since published a refreshed JSNA in 2024. The purpose of this is to help us plan and deliver the next phase of support collectively with the community and ensure the right offer is in place for those most affected by the tragedy, now and in the future.
A summary of the key recommendations of the 2024 JSNA:
- Recommendations to support survivors and those bereaved
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Recommendations to support survivors and those bereaved 1 Systems need to recognise that there are different experiences within the survivor and bereaved population. Different and overlapping needs should be considered with specific offers of support available based on an individual’s current and future needs.
Particular attention should be paid to the specific long-term impacts of this public tragedy, such as:
- the longer-term justice process
- decisions about the Tower.
2 Services that provide health care to survivors and those bereaved should collate, monitor, and clinically review health information regularly. Findings from this information should be regularly shared with survivors and those bereaved. 3 Provide a consistent offer of enhanced support for children and young people to maximise, the health, wellbeing and future life chances of children living in families and households affected by the Grenfell tragedy. 4 Provide suitable permanent housing to all displaced by the Grenfell tragedy and ensure safe, high-quality, culturally competent onwards housing management for all survivors and those bereaved that respects their experience. 5 Provide choice, flexibility, and control for families in deciding what support to access, when and how, including the need for a menu of different culturally competent options. 6 Service providers should focus on peer support, creating opportunities for people to connect and come together to support one another and to enable onward community-led recovery. 7 Ensure that bereaved and survivor voices are at the centre of plans for the future. - Recommendations to support the immediate local community
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Recommendations to support the immediate local community 1 Focus health and wellbeing support in a more targeted way on the immediate local community living near the Tower recognising the continued challenge living near the Tower is creating for some members of the community.
2 Services need to adjust and respond to the needs of people linked to the Grenfell tragedy, as they change over time. Providers should proactively plan for impact of decisions about the future of the Tower on the immediate local community and other key announcements. 3 Ensure the community living in the immediate area can access appropriate high quality mental and physical health services that take into account the impact of the Grenfell tragedy.
These services should collate, monitor, and clinically review health information regularly. Findings from this information should be regularly shared with the community and those affected by the tragedy.
4 Provide a specific focus on the mental and emotional wellbeing needs of children and young people that recognises their experience of the tragedy and intergenerational trauma. 5 Support community-led recovery wherever possible in a context of low levels of trust in public authorities. 6 Ensure residents can access support in trusted, community-based settings including through local organisations. 7 Provide suitable homes and housing support to maximise health and wellbeing. Improvements to housing conditions need to be delivered sensitively and with community support. - Recommendations to support the broader population
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Recommendations to support the broader population 1 The Grenfell legacy should not be limited to a narrow focus on ‘recovery’ and supporting those that still feel impacted by the tragedy. Systems should be led by communities to address the complex and cumulative interplay of inequalities which pre-date the tragedy.
2 Grenfell highlighted the imbalance of power and lack of engagement with communities and therefore systems should aspire to have a broader equal partnership with the communities we serve and the voluntary and community sector at the frontline of delivery. 3 Improve health equity by increasing the focus on preventive health interventions and proactively building health and wellbeing, acknowledging the impact of deprivation and financial poverty on health. 4 Give every child the best start in life and enable all children and young people to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives through fairer access to education, skills development and good work. 5 A diverse range of ethnic groups were impacted by the Grenfell tragedy. Systems should recognise and respond to the structural disadvantage that is rooted in racism and discrimination. Particular consideration should be given to the steps taken to rebuild community trust and the cultural competency of any services provided.
What has been done since the 2018 JSNA?
Health and wellbeing
Since publishing the 2018 JSNA, we have put in place a wide range of support with the NHS to respond to the recommendations.
We put in place a targeted Grenfell Recovery programme in 2019 to provide dedicated support for bereaved and survivors and a wide range of community‐based support to people living in North Kensington.
The latest information about the delivery, reach and impact of the programme is summarised in the Grenfell Recovery Programme Annual Report.
The NHS offer a range of services as part of their Health Monitoring for survivors. These include:
- enhanced health checks
- community respiratory checks
- annual lung function test
- annual general developmental and physical health check with a paediatrician for children and young people.
You can see all the NHS Grenfell services and how they can be accessed.
Environment
The environmental checks and soil tests that were carried out around Grenfell Tower showed no evidence of harmful contamination due to the fire. The levels of all potentially harmful chemicals in the soil were found to be within the range of typical urban areas.
The most recent findings on the environmental monitoring following the Grenfell Tower tragedy were published by UK Health Security Agency on 18 April 2018.
Air Quality Monitoring
The air quality in the area surrounding Grenfell Tower has been assessed and monitored since the start of the fire on 14 June 2017, firstly by Public Health England (PHE), and then by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Initial risk assessments were carried out using data from the Met Office, with partner agencies: the Environmental Agency, London Fire Brigade and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Environmental Health Department. They focused on the smoke plume from the fire which rose upwards rapidly and was carried in a northerly direction by the wind. This meant that potential impact on local air quality from the smoke was considered to be low.
Contacts
If you would like more information about this work or would like to provide feedback, please email: [email protected].
Health and Wellbeing Support
The NHS provide extra health services in the local area to help support the health and wellbeing of those affected by tragedy. If you need a Dedicated Health Worker, call 020 8637 6279 from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 5pm on Fridays.
Alternatively, please email [email protected]. For more information or visit www.grenfell.nhs.uk.
Air quality reports
UKHSA air quality monitoring reports can be found here. For general enquiries to the UKHSA, email [email protected].
FAQs
- Who do I contact if I think my health has been affected by the Grenfell tragedy?
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The NHS provide extra health services in the local area to help support the health and wellbeing of those affected by tragedy. If you need a Dedicated Health Worker, call 020 8637 6279 from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 5pm on Fridays.
Alternatively, please email [email protected]. For more information visit www.grenfell.nhs.uk.
You can find more information about emotional health and wellbeing for children and young people here.
You can find more information about emotional health and wellbeing for adults here.
- What is the purpose of the JSNA, what will you do with the information?
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The JSNA provides evidence to support statutory services (including the council and NHS). It helps to plan and commission projects and programmes that support the health and wellbeing of survivors and bereaved, local immediate community and broad community.
- What is the purpose of the North Kensington health and wellbeing survey and what are future plans for it?
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The 5-year North Kensington Health & Wellbeing Survey concluded in January 2024. The public health team are currently reviewing how we proceed with monitoring health and wellbeing needs of this community. The duration, frequency, questions, and location are under review, and we will update the community once a new programme has been agreed.
- What is population health monitoring and how will my personal information that was captured in it be kept safe?
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Public Health have been granted access to anonymised patient data to carry out population health monitoring. This means no personal information such as names or addresses have been shared. The Public Health team track a specific amount of health indications in search of any changes or trends in health. Public Health operate as processors of data, and the NHS have full and sole ownership of all patient information. No data is permitted to be shared without NHS sign off.