Agenda item

The Leader of the Council, and chair of the Board, Councillor Peter John will present along with Ruth Wallis , Director of Public Health.

5.1  The Leader, Cllr Peter John, ran through the presentation circulated: ’Building a healthier future together - Developing Southwark’s Health and Wellbeing Board and Strategy’. This was followed by a presentation by the Public Health Director, Dr. Ruth Wallis, on the ‘Joint Strategic Needs Assessment’. The chair then invited questions.

5.2   A member commented that he had not seen measurable targets and outcomes for the shadow board, and asked if these will come. The Leader responded that all the departments do have targets and measurable outcomes and it is anticipated that these will link this up with the strategy. The member asked when this would happen and if this would apply to the shadow strategy or the one being developed. The Leader replied it would most likely apply to the current strategy but it would take some time to align different parts of system - for example a tranche of targets and measures would be provided by the Children’s Trust. The member went on to comment that the LSP always found it difficult to demonstrate its achievements and the Leader assured the committee that he was very keen to get measurable outcomes.

5.3  A member commented that the committee asked a number of public health professionals and clinicians to say their top priority and Professor Moxham said his was smoking. He added that his top priority was Sexual Health and noted the highs levels of Gonorrhea, Syphilis and HIV in the Southwark. The Leader responded that smoking is there as a priority and recently money has been committed for Sexual Health.

5.4  The Public Health Director agreed that sexual health is a big issue in Southwark. She went on to observe that part of the reason that rates went up recently is that statistics are now based on where tested people are tested  , rather than residence , and Southwark has invested in improved testing. She also noted the good work on early detection of HIV - the proportion of people presenting late in Southwark is about 30% , whereas other areas it is more like 80% .She reported that Southwark  have brought in a scheme for people to get tested on registration with a doctor . She voiced disappointment on the recent decision on improving cigarette packaging. The member commented that he thought is would send a strong message if Sexual Health was a political priority - given the life changing consequences on fertility  of Chlamydia infection  and rates of HIV infection among the young gay community .

5.5  A member asked what work is being done with 2 year olds and also helping older people to be fit and healthy. He noted the effectiveness of simple things like inviting people for walls around Dulwich Park and reminiscence. The Public Health Director commented that there are a number of approaches and activities that focus on these age groups, and she commented that the Marmot report demonstrates the importance of early intervention.

5.6  A member referred to the work of the Peckham Experiment and suggested this could be an inspiration. She went on to ask if community engagement has been prioritised and resourced. The Leader assured the member that community engagement is a very important part of the approach there will be outreach. 

5.7  The Public Health Director was asked about sources of data and she responded that some of the data used is national. One concern is that ONS have said that they can no longer afford to produce data on childhood mortality and teenage conceptions, and this poses challenges. The chair asked the Public Health Director to report back on this.  

5.8  The Public Health Director was asked about the budget available and any decommissioning plans and she said that there is no direct budget and the Health and Wellbeing Boards role is more about influence. The Leader commented that there are some commissioned budgets we are negotiating around HIV.

5.9  The Leader was asked about the role of the Police on the Health and Wellbeing Board and he explained that the board wanted their intelligence. He added that there are targets around children and presence on the board offers an opportunity to shift mindsets across lots of different organisations. The Public Health Director noted that many attendances at A and E are alcohol related so this is an opportunity to think collectively .The Leader recommended the report ‘ Re-wiring Public Services’ , which writes about the need for local delegation of budgets.

RESOLVED

The following will be provided:

• A briefing on the recent announcement that the Office for National Statistics may no longer be able to afford to produce data on childhood mortality and teenage conceptions.

• An update on Health & Wellbeing strategy and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment in 6 months time.