Agenda item

Dr Katherine Packham (Consultant in Public Health, Leicester City Council) presented a highlight report summarising key progress against actions to address the six priorities selected for initial focus outlined within the Joint Health, Care and Wellbeing Strategy. The update covered the six-months from February to July 2023 inclusive. Some of the work being undertaken, around children/young people and mental health work in the Public Health team, was not fully captured in the current Plan. Each strand of the workstream was discussed in turn. Only one risk was noted – see Healthy Aging section below.

·         Healthy Start; priority “to mitigate against impacts of poverty on children and young people”.Progress includes:-

o   Anti-poverty grants had been issued (particularly around food insecurity).

o   “Lets Get Resourceful” was evolving into longer term resilience-building projects.

o   The fuel poverty programme (Public Health in collaboration with National Energy Action) continued.

o   A Task & Finish Group was meeting to look at the experiences of BAME women accessing services. An event would be held to raise awareness of equity for maternity care.

·         Healthy Places; priority “to improve access to primary & community health and care services”.Progress includes:-

o   Better links were being developed with social prescribers, the Primary Care Networks and digital services; this would help address the five priorities for the workstream.

o   Uptake of Health Checks by those with learning disabilities had improved.

·         Healthy Minds; priorities based on improving access to Mental Health services”.Progress includes:-

o   A new advice service commenced May 2023.

o   Mental Health Support Teams in schools had increased.

o   The “Crisis Cafes” had been rebranded to “Mental Health Cafes” – and there were now eleven of these.

o   The “IAPT” service had been rebranded as “NHS Talking Therapies”.

o   The Dementia Strategy consultation was closing on 22.9.23 – and members were asked to share the link widely.

·         Healthy Lives; priority to “increase detection of heart disease, lung disease and cancer in adults”.Progress includes:-

o   The hypertension pilot scheme was being evaluated.

o   Significant work had progressed on cancer pathways – including year two rollout for the “FIT” pathway.

·         Healthy Aging; priority “age comfortably and confidently through a person-centres programme to support self-care, build on strengths and reduce frailty”. Progress includes:-

o   Expansion of MyChoice directory.

o   Building up assets around loneliness.

o   Appointment of a Project Lead for Reablement (with respect to hospital discharges).

o   A risk was noted; the £500k allocated for increased reablement will be insufficient to make transformative change.

·         Communications and engagement activity continued via joint working between the ICB and the Local Authority (and particularly through facilitation by the Community Wellbeing Champions).

Comments and questions from the Board:-

-       The Chair proposed a future Development Session of the Board to discuss ways to demonstrate and evidence impact. This was agreed by Members, with a suggestion to invite academic colleagues.

-       The Chair felt that the Dementia Strategy consultation was a prime example of information that helps understand the community – and as such should be a link that was shared across all partners represented at the Board.

-       Dr Packham confirmed that there were Communications Leads in the membership of the Delivery Action Plan Steering Group but acknowledged the Chair’s suggestion that a distinct Comms Group could be useful.

-       The Chair felt that vaccine uptake promotion needed to be in every school and club newsletter – and perhaps in sporting match-day programmes.

-       Primary Care and LPT leads collaborated to find the previously missing cohort of learning disabled who had not had their NHS Health Check.  As a result, this year 1500 were contacted and only one of those did not then come forward for their check.

-       The NHS Galleri cancer research trial utilised local Councillors and the Primary Care Networks to successfully engage more participants from lower socio-economic groups.

-       There had been a large increase in uptake of Talking Therapies this year following community engagement. As a result of the engagement, the services now went out to the people rather than expecting the people to come to the service.

-       The Chair noted that elected members were keen to champion health and wellbeing challenges – and welcomed any tools that can be used to help with this.

-       The Member of the Board representing United Leicester noted that the clubs had previously established a health and wellbeing module placed on all their websites. Sustainability of the module was proving a challenge post-pandemic.

-       A Joint Charter was signed by the City Mayor, the Universities, County Council and Rutland Council around fifteen months ago. As a result cross-cutting groups were set up – but the “Health and Wellbeing in Sport” group struggled with sustainability.

-       A recent Health Needs Assessment showed that there was poor oral health in Leicester, and that access to NHS dentistry was a significant challenge. It was requested that Officers bring a presentation to a future Board meeting to plan what actions can be taken.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Board thanks Officers for the presentation and asks them to take Members comments into account.

2.    That more detail on any of the projects mentioned in the report can be directed to Dr Packham.

3.    That the Board members will share the link to the Dementia Strategy consultation (which closes 22.9.23).

4.    That Officers will bring the refreshed Dementia Strategy to a future Board meeting.

5.    That there will be a future Development Session of the Board to discuss ways to demonstrate and evidence impact.

6.    That Members will make the most of communications networks to share health and wellbeing messages across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

7.    That Officers will bring a report on oral health to a future Board meeting – to enable discussion about possible actions to improve oral health and access to NHS dentistry.

8.    That Officers bring a report, to a future meeting, on the energy advice work of Public Health and National Energy Action.