Agenda item

To receive a presentation on the recent Public Health report from Simon Bryant, Director of Public Health and Johanna Jefferies, Associate Director of Public Health, Hampshire County Council. A copy of the Health Protection Annual Report 2022-23, is attached for reference. Mr Bryant and Ms Jefferies will be joining the meeting virtually.

The Committee welcomed Hampshire County Council’s Director for Public Health, Simon Bryant and Associate Director for Public Health, Johanna Jefferies, who attended the meeting virtually to provide a presentation on Public Health.

The Committee noted that upper tier local authorities had a statutory duty to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities by reducing the need for people to access health and social care. These duties were delivered by working closely with partners and were funded through a ring fenced grant. Part of the duty included commissioning mandated services including sexual and reproductive health, drug and alcohol treatment, school nursing, health visiting, the National Childhood Measurement Programme and NHS health checks.

The vision of the Hampshire Public Health Strategy was to improve the health of everyone living in Hampshire and to create a healthier Hampshire. This was achieved by increasing the number of years residents could expect to live in good health and by reducing the unfair gap in healthy life years between the most and least healthy. The Strategy was in place to create conditions that enabled residents to maintain healthy behaviours that help to prevent illness with a focus on reducing conditions that contributed most to poor health (smoking, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, poor mental health etc.). The activities within the Strategy were achieved through working with a wide range of partners, such as the local NHS, district and borough councils, local businesses and the voluntary and community sector. To make an impact, and reduce the gaps in health, local government were uniquely placed to act on the building blocks of health, these included, money and resources, surroundings, work, education and skills, housing, family, friends and community, food and transport. The Strategy links with other key population level strategies including the Economic Strategy, Climate Change Strategy and the Local Transport Plan and aligned it’s objectives with the Children and Young People’s Plan, the Adult Health and Care Strategy, the Hampshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy and contributed to the delivery of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Frimley Integrated Care System Strategic Vision.

It was advised that the Strategy had three main themes:

·         Healthy Places, Settings and Communities – rooted in the work with communities undertaken primarily by local authorities with Hampshire County Council acting as the anchor institution.

·         Healthy People – to provide health protection, respond to Public Health emergencies, provide health intelligence and deliver programmes that help to reduce the impacts of violence within the criminal justice system.

·         Healthy Lives – enabling residents to live longer by encouraging physical activity and activities on stopping smoking and substance abuse

It was advised that a high level Action Plan had been drawn up to set key actions and identify contributors and a liaison officer had been appointed to work directly with Rushmoor. The Committee also noted current work areas in Rushmoor which included, a focus on smoking services, a whole system approach to healthy weights and health walks, Balance, Glide and Ride and Energise Me activities.

Following a discussion, it was advised that the Public Health team were heavily engaged with the Frimley Health Partnership and Mr Bryant chaired a number of the groups active within the partnership. It was noted that health needs within communities were identified and services/interventions targeted accordingly. For example, it was advised that in Rushmoor, over the last 20 years, work had been undertaken to drive down the rate of HIV infection (1.92 per 1,000 population), which were higher than in other areas of the county (Hampshire (as a whole) 1.18 per 1,000 population).

In response to how Elected Members could raise issues affecting their communities, it was advised that first contact should be made with the Community and Partnerships Team.

Other issues discussed were:

·         Emerging threats – there was an element of uncertainty in this area and the Public Health team had to take all preventions to tackle threats that could emerge, through targeted vaccinations and monitoring the national picture

·         Antimicrobial Resistance – due to increased usage of antibiotics, their effectiveness has decreased over time, resulting in health practitioners not being able to protect the population. This was identified as a huge issue and national leadership was required address the matter

·         Links with Planning/Environmental Health – It was advised that the Public Health team responded to planning applications despite not being a statutory consultee and worked closely with both the planning and environmental health teams.

ACTION:

The Chairman thanked Mr Bryant and Ms Jefferies for their presentation and contribution to the meeting.