Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Health that provided an update on the 0-19 Growing Healthy service (0 – 5 Health visitor and 5 – 19 school nursing) (for copy see file of minutes).

The Public Health Portfolio Lead reported on the Service Developments, Performance and Training over the last 12 months ensuring the workforce remain skilled competent practitioners who deliver an evidence-based service.

Members were advised that the contract with HDFT was coming to an end in April 2019 so work would be starting to look at future contracts.

Councillor Brookes commented on the progress being made and suggested that it would be helpful if statistics on the numbers of nurses, health visitors and children contacted were included in the report. He noted many positives within the report and felt it would be useful to include the issues and challenges the service was experiencing.  The Head of Children’s Public Health Nursing County Durham advised that extensive robust performance data was produced which could be made available to members. She gave a brief overview and highlighted challenges the service was facing which included improvements to the model structure by looking at the SEN school nursing service to introduce a skill mix team within the next 3 months and the issues of recruiting school nurses, which was a national problem.

Councillor Patterson referred to appendix 2 of the report and asked if in future a list of abbreviations used could be included.  The Portfolio Lead apologised and agreed that this would be included.

The Chairman thanked the Public Health Portfolio Lead and Head of Children’s Public Health Nursing County Durham for presenting the update.

Resolved:

That the information contained in the report be noted.