Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Alison Dunn, Bill Westwood, Councillor Haley, Councillor M Foy, Elaine Devaney, Lynsey McVay, Mark Adams and Sheena Ramsey.

The minutes of the business meeting held on 6^th September 2019 and Action List are attached for approval.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The minutes of the last meeting held on 6 September 2019 were agreed as a correct record.

The Board also received an update from the Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board Action List highlighting that an update on ICP/ICS planning would be provided at the next meeting. It was also noted that an update on the involvement/engagement with the voluntary sector from James Duncan would be fed in to the Board’s Forward Plan. It was agreed that the head teacher of Whickham School would be invited to attend a future board meeting to share his experience of prevention work in schools.

Members of the Board to declare an interest in any particular agenda item.

RESOLVED:

(i)            There were no declarations of interest.

The Board received an update on the Gateshead Joint Strategic Needs Assessment refresh. A report and presentation was provided to update the Board on progress made against ongoing action areas and next steps identified in the Gateshead JSNA paper presented at the Board on 19 October 2018.

From the presentation the Board were advised that the JSNA continues to have support from Board members including Gateshead Council, CCG, Newcastle CVS and Healthwatch Gateshead. It was also stated that work is continuing to raise awareness with elected members and NTW staff.

The Board were provided with an overview of the Local Index of Need (LIoN) tool which provides information borough wide on a variety of factors and influences. It was noted that existing sections of the site are being reviewed. It was highlighted that additional sections are under development such as youth justice, domestic abuse victims and offenders.

Within the presentation it was shown that air quality has now been added to the JSNA priorities page. Additionally, it was noted that future improvements are planned with work on-going with expert authors and work continuing to raise awareness of the JSNA.

A comment was made noting that elected members in Gateshead find the JSNA website very useful, particularly the LIoN data. It was also suggested that a link to the JSNA could be provided within Council responses to Freedom of Information requests.

It was stated that the JSNA is a useful tool for those who work in the voluntary and community sectors. It was further noted that the information within the site could be of use to education professionals and schools. Gerald Thompkins agreed that he would speak with the Service Director of Learning & Schools at Gateshead Council to make them aware.

The Board agreed that the JSNA priorities within the report and presentation were in line with the new Health and Wellbeing Strategy but noted that more community engagement would be beneficial.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board agreed the report recommendations.

(ii)           The Board agreed to receive an update in September 2020.

The Board received a report and presentation to set out both the progress made, and the next steps for plans for the Health Weight agenda in Gateshead.

From the presentation, the Board were provided with an overview of the agenda context. It was stated that obesity levels in the general population are too high with inequalities relating to child obesity widening. It was noted that obesity is a complex problem that can’t be addressed with a simple solution.

It was highlighted that obesity and excess weight in adults is predicated to reach 70% by 2034 with more adults and children now severely obese. It was also noted that the consequences of excess weight are costly to health and social care services.

The Board were provided with a variety of statistics relating to the prevalence of obesity in school age children in addition to self-reported data on excess weight in adults. Additionally, a summary of recommendations from the Health Needs Assessment was provided which included to develop a Local Healthy Weight Declaration for Gateshead.

It was noted from the presentation that further work needs to be carried out working with the Regional Local Maternity Systems Co-ordinator following the obesity in pregnancy self-assessment tool. It was also stated that the CCG and Public Health service are reviewing the current services and approaches to healthy weight being delivered across the system to look for areas of improvement.

The Board were advised that a PhD student based at Gateshead Council is looking at the impact of austerity on nutrition in the first 1000 days of life using an embedded researched approach to inform future practise.

An overview of the next steps in the plans was presented stating that a report would be produced in 6 months on the proposed priorities and action plan from the healthy weight whole system workshops and healthy weight alliance group. It was also noted that to continue collaborate with a range of partners and to focus the next stage on engagement with the community.

A comment was made noting that austerity and poverty has had a huge impact on healthy weight across the borough. A discussion also took place on the benefits of partnership working to improve the circumstances of some residents for example, the recent holiday hunger scheme organised by Gateshead Council.

A further discussion took place on the role of schools to support a decline in childhood obesity, schemes such as the Daily Mile were also mentioned. The Board were also advised that in the Council’s senior leadership restructure that leisure and culture services would come under the newly structured Public Health Service.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board considered and noted the contents of the report.

The Board received a report and presentation setting out progress made, plans and timescales for improvements to tobacco control activity in Gateshead.

An overview of Gateshead key local data was provided highlighting that tobacco dependence is a chronic relapsing condition that starts in childhood and is familial. It was also noted that the total cost to Gateshead society is £48,340,070 per annum (made up of NHS costs and social care costs, productivity costs and economic activity due to smoking related illness). The Board were also shown a graph to illustrate that smoking prevalence is higher in areas of deprivation.

The Board were advised that the aim is that smoking prevalence will be at 5% by 2025. An overview of progress to date was provided highlighting that scoping work has been undertaken in the form of a ‘CLeaR assessment’, Health Equity Audit, a Stop Smoking Service review and an OSC review of addressing harm related to tobacco.

The Board retrospectively endorsed two recommendations set out in the All Party Parliamentary Group report to increase the age of sale from 18 to 21 and to require manufacturers and importers of cigarettes to include mandated pack inserts to support quitting.

A comment was made noting that vape use is increasing, and whilst the risks of vaping are not fully understood yet there is evidence that it is significantly safer than smoking tobacco.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board noted the contents of the report.

The Board received a report for retrospective endorsement of the Better Care Fund submission for Gateshead for 2019-20 in order to support health and social care services to provide integrated care for the benefit of local people in ways that are sustainable for the local health and care economy.

It was noted from the report that the Board considered a report at its last meeting setting out the BCF submission requirements for 2019-20, arrangements for developing the Gateshead submission and an update on progress.

It was also stated that the submission had been finalised and was submitted to NHS England by the deadline of 27 September. It was highlighted that the submission had been considered by the Council’s Cabinet and the CCG’s Executive in two parts. A link for the document was also provided within the report for information.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board endorsed the 2019-20 Better Care Fund Submission for Gateshead.

A verbal update was provided on the work of the Gateshead Health & Care System. An update was provided on financial issues stemming from system development work in addition to progress being made in key priority areas.

A charity event held to raise funds for Mind was also noted.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board noted the update.

The Board received a report providing an overview of the health protection system and outcomes for Gateshead as part of the Director for Public Health’s responsibility to provide assurance to the Health and Wellbeing Board that the current arrangements for health protection are robust and equipped to meet the needs of the population.

From the report it was explained that health protection describes activities and arrangements that seek to protect the population from risks to health arising from biological, environmental or chemical hazards.

A summary of an analysis of data regarding health protection outcomes for screening, immunisation, communicable disease and air quality highlighted that there are areas that require improvement, and these form the assurance priorities for 2019/20.

Concern was noted that childhood immunisation rates are declining; it was stated that work in underway across the system to ensure that this trend is addressed.

It was suggested that Public Health Consultants for Gateshead write to NHS England to express concern on the low uptake of childhood immunisations. It was agreed that this would be done, and an update presented to the Board at the January 2020 meeting.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board noted the report and agreed to receive a further update at a future meeting.

The Board were advised that a consultation on the new Health and Wellbeing Strategy is underway. It was noted that meetings with the Learning Disabilities Board and QE Board are outstanding.

The Board were advised that Newcastle CVS would be changing its name to ‘The Connected Voice’.

A brief overview of the Council’s finances was provided.. The Board were also advised that Gateshead Council is carrying out an internal audit following the announcement of a Climate Change Emergency.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Board noted the updates.

RESOLVED:

(i)            There was no other business.