Healthy You Service
The Healthy You Service, launched in January 2025, continues to demonstrate strong engagement and positive outcomes. During Q3, there were 489 adult referrals and 28 child referrals, bringing cumulative referrals since launch to 1,943 adults and 73 children.
Outcome data shows meaningful behaviour change among adults completing the programme. Of the 277 adults who completed the initial 12‑week programme, the majority achieved improvements across key lifestyle indicators, including increased physical activity, healthier diet, improved wellbeing, and achievement of personal goals. While engagement for children and young people remains lower, early outcomes for those completing the programme are positive, particularly in relation to physical activity, wellbeing, and nutrition knowledge.
Stop Smoking Services
Stop Smoking Services showed mixed performance during Q2 2025/26. 239 people set a quit date, representing a reduction compared with the previous quarter but an improvement on the same period last year. Of those setting a quit date, 162 successfully quit at four weeks, maintaining a consistently high quit conversion rate of 71.3%. Despite some quarterly fluctuation, overall service effectiveness remains strong.
NHS Health Check Programme
The NHS Health Check programme continues to perform very well and remains a key prevention success. In Q3, 56 out of 65 providers delivered health checks. A total of 3,655 people were invited, and 3,771 checks were completed, resulting in an uptake rate of 103.2%. This unusually high rate reflects providers exceeding invitation caps and focusing on previously invited individuals.
Importantly, the programme achieved its highest Q3 cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk detection numbers of the past 6 financial years. 736 individuals were identified with a CVD risk of 10% or higher, representing 19.5% of those checked. This demonstrates that the programme is successfully targeting and identifying individuals most at risk, supporting early intervention and prevention of future ill health.
Healthy Child Programme
Performance across the Healthy Child Programme remains consistently strong. In Q2 2025/26, all mandated health visitor contacts exceeded 90% completion, with most achieving rates in excess of 95%. Antenatal and new birth visits remain predominantly face‑to‑face, while later contacts increasingly use virtual delivery, particularly for 6–8 week and 12‑month reviews. These blended delivery models appear effective and support sustained high coverage.
Infant Feeding
Breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks has increased by 5.3% compared with the same quarter last year. This improvement reflects ongoing work across North Yorkshire, supported by targeted breastfeeding groups and collaboration with the Infant Feeding Strategic Group. Local variation remains, and further work is planned to increase engagement in areas with lower uptake.
Emotional Health and Resilience
The Emotional Health and Resilience service received 161 referrals this quarter, representing a 25% reduction compared with the previous quarter. Most referrals relate to children under nine years of age, with managing emotions and anxiety accounting for nearly four‑fifths of referrals. The reduction in referrals may reflect changing demand patterns or improved early intervention elsewhere in the system.
Drug and Alcohol Services
North Yorkshire Horizons (Adults)
The adult drug and alcohol treatment service exceeded its revised 2025/26 target, with 2,979 adults in treatment compared with a target of 2,865. Adjustments to cohort targets better reflect local need, with reductions in opiate‑related targets offset by increases in non‑opiate and alcohol treatment. Online referrals via the service website continue to form a significant and growing route into treatment.
North Yorkshire RISE (Young People)
The young people’s service increased its treatment target to 150 for 2025/26. Although the number of young people in treatment reduced to 129 during this period, this is largely attributed to successful completions. Continued outreach, including school drop‑ins and the launch of a new website with online referral capability, is expected to support increased engagement in future quarters.
Sexual Health Services
Activity and Testing
Sexual Health Services delivered 4,260 attendances in Q2 2025/26, a 3% increase compared with both the previous quarter and the same period last year. STI testing activity increased slightly in clinics and more substantially online, although online testing is now restricted to those aged 16–24, reflecting higher positivity rates in this age group. Overall STI diagnoses remain stable, with chlamydia continuing to be the most common infection locally.
Contraception
Long‑Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) activity remains stable within specialist services, with 416 fittings completed in Q2. However, LARC activity in primary care has declined, with GP practices delivering fewer fittings compared with last year. Conversely, community pharmacy provision of emergency hormonal contraception increased by 21%. Work is underway to understand and address reduced LARC provision in primary care.
National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
The NCMP measured 10,430 children across 295 schools, with participation rates of 90% in reception and 89% in Year 6. While slightly lower than previous years, data quality remained very high. Analysis of local data highlights a persistent and widening inequality gradient, with children in the most deprived areas experiencing significantly higher obesity prevalence.
The most concerning finding relates to 4–5 year‑olds, where obesity rates have increased by over 2 percentage points in two years and excess weight prevalence in this age group now exceeds the national average. While Year 6 obesity rates remain below the national average, excess weight has increased slightly.