Agenda item

Report by Director of Public Health.

The report provides the committee with an overview of the proposed Joint Health and Wellbeing strategy for the next five years.

42.1   The Committee considered the draft West Sussex Joint Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy 2019/24 which was introduced by Anna Raleigh, Director of Public Health, who told the Committee: -

·        The Strategy described the role and purpose of the Health & Wellbeing Board (HWB) and the leadership model described how it worked

·        The HWB provided democratic accountability for the NHS in conjunction with Healthwatch West Sussex

·        The HWB wanted to bring about innovation and improvement by working across organisations and had a new vision for West Sussex to be a great place to live throughout life

·        The Strategy was divided into three areas; Start Well, Live Well and Age Well and identified problems and ways to address them

·        The HWB understood health and social care issues and transformation initiatives, championed them and embedded them in its strategy and partner organisations

·        Consultation on the strategy, which had involved stakeholder groups, clinical commissioning group meetings and reviewing other strategies, had received a lot of feedback and was due to end in January

42.2   Summary of responses to Members’ questions and comments: -

·        The HWB was developing its relationship with the district and borough councils by holding its meetings in various locations around the county and inviting the local health and wellbeing partnerships to attend

·        All Council departments needed to work together to combat social isolation

·        Considerable work had been done on sugar reduction – this could be reflected more in the strategy

·        The HWB welcomed the focus in the NHS 10 Year Plan on self-management of long-term conditions but felt that more support/information was needed

·        Economic, workforce and education strategies needed to be examined to see if they addressed challenges, including employees’ mental wellbeing during periods of change to ways of working, especially in the statutory sector which dominated work in West Sussex – the Council wanted to be an exemplar employer so it could then share best practice with partner organisations

·        A range of issues was considered for the strategy and prioritised in order of where it was felt most impact could be made – gambling addiction was not in the strategy, but work on this was taking place and it was in the NHS 10 Year Plan

·        Use of digital technology such as social media was in place e.g. in work with young people

·        The number of smokers, including pregnant women, was higher in areas of deprivation – investment was being made in health and wellbeing hubs re smoking cessation as well as work with pharmacists and acute hospital trusts

·        The local maternity system had a smoking prevention plan and nicotine replacement therapy was prescribed for pregnant women

·        Work to discourage smoking also took place in schools

42.3   Resolved – that the Committee: -

     i.        Acknowledges the significant work that has been undertaken to develop the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy and asks that

a)   Sugar reduction be emphasised with action plans across the strategy

b)   More is included in regard to children’s mental health

c)    Action plans are included for those with long-term conditions who do not feel supported

d)   A reference to digital media is included regarding its impact on health and wellbeing and the benefits it can bring

e)   Other addictions, including gambling, are included

f)    More is added regarding the benefits of walking and cycling

g)   The importance of smoking cessation, particularly for pregnant women, is emphasised