Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships which presented progress towards achieving the key outcomes of the council’s corporate performance framework for the Altogether Healthier priority theme (for copy see file of minutes).

The Strategy Team Leader, Transformation and Partnerships highlighted key outcomes for quarter one and advised that a number of businesses had signed up to become breastfeeding friendly although data showed that figures on take up were still low. Staff were being encouraged to talk about mental health at work and a number of organisations had achieved the better health at work award.  Smoking prevalence across the county had increased slightly and reducing smoking in pregnancy continued to be a priority.

Councillor Temple was concerned at the statistical data especially in terms of breastfeeding and smoking at the time of delivery.

Councillor Smith agreed and said that these issues have been a problem for a long time and efforts had been made to address them.  She understood that the issues were often complex and often linked to poverty.

Councillor Jopling was concerned that breastfeeding had a stigma attached to it and said that there should be a stronger message in schools and in the home to promote it.

The Director of Public Health informed the committee that this was a national problem and women were not generally encouraged to take it up and society had seemed to shun the idea of breastfeeding in public.  She added that this was concerning and affected woman of all ages.

Although breastfeeding was an important issue, Councillor Grant felt that smoking at the time of delivery was more concerning and more should be done to address that.  The Director of Public Health advised that they were trying to cover pre and post natal women and that this area of work was very much high on the list of priorities.

The Chair said that these issues would be looked at more closely.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.