The Oakdale renewal area was established in January 1992 to improve the environment and enhance the social and economic opportunities for residents in what was a deprived area. The Local Authority invested £8.6 million in the repair of homes and renovation of property. However, little work has been carried out to assess the impact of the renewal programme on the health of the resident population. The present study was therefore undertaken to investigate whether primary care prescribing data could be used, retrospectively, to monitor the impact of the renewal scheme on the health of residents.

Prescribing data for the two practices that hold surgeries in Oakdale (Practices A and B) were compared with (i) aggregate data for all Gwent practices and (ii) aggregate data for seven general practices located in the surrounding geographical area. Prescribing data (items/1000 patients) were compared for each quarter from January 1994 to December 1998. Results are expressed as a percentage change at December 1998 compared to January 1994.

Over the five year study period there was no change of partners in the two Oakdale practices and there was one practice partner change in a reference practice. Analysis of prescribing patterns for medicines to treat gastrointestinal, cardiovascular or respiratory disorders, infectious diseases or pain revealed no difference at any time point between the different groups of practices studied. However, the number of prescribed items for drugs to treat disorders of the central nervous system increased over the study period by 13% and 14% in practices A and B, respectively, compared to an increase of 21% in both all Gwent practices and the seven practices from the surrounding area. Analysis of anxiolytic prescribing revealed a reduction in Practices A and B of -1% and -25%, respectively, compared to an increase of 24% in all Gwent practices and 16% in the seven practices from the surrounding area.

Although the Oakdale and reference practices had populations from similar geographical and socio-economic areas many factors, such as a change in local demographics, could have influenced the prescription of anxiolytics. The change in anxiolytic prescribing observed was probably caused by a combination of interrelated factors not easily measured. There is, however, a good body of evidence that indicates poor housing and environment has an adverse effect on mental health. It is likely, therefore, that this initially contributed to the need for anxiolytics and as the housing and environment improved the need diminished. The results observed are consistent with this.

Acknowledgement: This study was funded by the Welsh Office.