Agenda item

Joint Report and Presentation of the Interim Corporate Director of Adult and Health Services and the Director of Public Health, Adult and Health Services, Durham County Council.

The Board received an update presentation from the Director of Public Health, A Healy and the Research and Public Health Intelligence Manager, M Flemming on the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024 (for copy see file of minutes).

The Director of Public Health reminded the Board that the production and publication of an Annual Report was a requirement for Councils and it was over 10 years since Public Health became part of Local Authorities.  It was explained that the Report linked to the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JLHWS) with the influences on health and wellbeing, health and social care, healthy behaviours and the wider determinants of health.  She added that one aspect was looking ahead at unfair impacts and how they could be avoided.

The Research and Public Health Intelligence Manager noted national primary and secondary care data and that there had been a number of conversations on how to embed looking at the data and knowledge to project in terms of issues within County Durham.  He noted the issue of deprivation, impacting within the county, with 86,000, one in five, projected to have a major illness by 2040.  He referred to life expectancy graphs, noting the gap for County Durham with the England average, and while life expectancies were increasing, the gap was not shrinking.  He noted several other graphs highlighting health inequalities, including cancer, anxiety and depression.

The Director of Public Health referred to work being carried out, including supporting carers, encouraging healthy behaviours such as smoking cessation, healthy weight, tackling anxiety/depression, alcohol consumption, as well as wider determinants of health.  She noted the Better Health and Work Award and concluded by noting local ambitions to tackle unfair differences and what mitigating actions that can be put in place to tackle those differences, working together with our communities.

P Sutton noted the conversations of providers and commissioners of services, and the pursuit of efficiencies, noting the example of ‘do not attends’ with a ‘one-strike’ and out.  He added that those people were the people that we wished to engage with and asked how that was addresses when looking at contracts with providers, in terms of what is best to address need. 

The Director of Public Health noted that it was recognised that was an important area, including health literacy, so that individuals understand the importance of their health.  She added it was a complex issue and she noted that there were health and wellbeing aspects written into contracts, including in terms of issues such as mental health.  P Sutton noted that was a good start, however, there was a journey in being able towards embedding in all provision.  The Director of Public Health noted that there were always issues in terms of efficiencies and need, and agreed it was important to look to get that right in contracts.  The Director of Delivery, S Burns noted she hoped that commissioning had changed and looked a need more.  She added that those who needed help was often different to those that presented, looking at Accident and Emergency attendances and the distances travelled by people, noting there was still some challenges in terms of commissioning.

Dr J Carlton noted that the Joint Strategic Needs and Assets Assessment (JSNAA) group projections were based on the current status projected through to 2040.  He added that with interventions, it was hoped that those impacts could be reduced.  He noted that there were a complex number of influences on an individuals’ health, with the challenge being for the right policy and investment to help.  He noted the report identified a number of variables linked to economic and social status and that these were important areas for the Health and Wellbeing Board to monitor closely.  He added that he felt the question was how we could invest in terms of the most impact, and to look to help the most vulnerable within our population.  The Research and Public Health Intelligence Manager agreed and noted update in the evidence base would be important, as it underpins actions taken.  The Chair noted that the data was alarming and that it should be a call to action in terms of feeding into NHS and Government plans.  The Director of Delivery noted a whole system approach, NHS, employment, social care and that the impacts rippled out across our communities.  The Chair noted that there were also impacts upon on the demands of the Police and Fire and Rescue Service, with their work in relation to protecting vulnerable people.  The Director of Public Health noted that partners and the Board would need to look to take onboard the issues accordingly.

Resolved:

That the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024 be noted.