Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd September were agreed as a true record.

Further to Minute 10/20 headed ‘Neuron-rehabilitation Level 2b Bed Relocation’, the Director of Adult Services provided an update on Blue Beds in Coventry. Blue beds were used for Covid-19 positive care home residents who were discharged from hospital, having tested positive but no longer required medical care.

The Board noted that the covid-19 blue beds were located at Hawthorne House, Tile Hill and had been available since April. There were no issues and the arrangements would remain in place until the end of March, 2021, when the situation would be reviewed.  There were vacancies and the system was well managed.  A concern was raised about care home residents being sent straight back from the hospital to the care home setting without any communication with families. It was clarified that all care home providers were providing weekly bulletins to their residents’ families to keep them informed about the covid-19 situation. There was no legal obligation on the Local Authority to inform families of any positive covid-19 test results in care homes where a family member was living. It was good practice for the care homes to engage with their residents’ families.

Report of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Board considered a report and received a presentation of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing concerning her Annual Report for 2019-2020 ‘Resetting our Wellbeing’. The report was a statutory report produced each year.

This year the report recorded Coventry’s state of wellbeing in 2019/20 and offered a reflection on the city’s system-wide approach to improving wellbeing last year and in the early Covid-19 response. The report’s findings were informed by statistical figures, performance reports and evaluations from the Council and partners, and interviews with over 20 colleagues across teams and organisations.

As the city continued to live with, and through, Covid-19, the aim was to minimise the harm of the pandemic and make use of the benefits gained from the city’s projects and partnerships last year and in the early Covid-19 response. As a result, the report offered two sets of recommendations: one for individuals and one for organisations and Coventry’s health and wellbeing system.

The Director’s report provided an update on progress with implementing the nine recommendations from the 2018-19 Annual Report ‘Bridging the Gap: Tackling Health Inequalities in Coventry, a Marmot City’. This report had focused on health inequalities in Coventry; the determinants that contributed to these inequalities and the work being carried out to address them. There was an acknowledgement that responding to covid-19 had created a shift in priorities across the resources and capacity of the Council and their partners.

For the 2019-20 report, individuals were recommended to improve their wellbeing and build their resilience by: having vaccinations; having the flu vaccination; eating healthily; travelling by walking or cycling; doing physical activities; and practising the five ways to wellbeing. These recommendations tied in with the Coventry Health Challenge and the Government’s Better Health campaign. Together, they encouraged Coventry’s residents to take action for their wellbeing, which would help to reduce the harm of Covid-19.

The following recommendations for organisations and the city’s health and wellbeing system fell under the four quadrants of Coventry’s population health framework and were in line with the Council’s reset and recovery exercise:

Recommendation 1 – Wider determinants of health

Covid-19 had shone a light on inequalities within our communities. Coventry City Council and partners should continue to build on this increased awareness, and consider the findings from Covid-19-related research and surveys, to mitigate the health and wellbeing impact of inequalities in Coventry.

Recommendation 2 – Our health, behaviours, and lifestyles

Coventry City Council's approach to public health communications and engagement should be guided by lessons learnt and new relationships formed, especially as we continue to live with, and through, covid-19.

Recommendation 3 – Our health, behaviours, and lifestyles

Coventry City Council and partners should continue to encourage local employers, and lifestyle and wellbeing services, to commit to improving workplace wellbeing.

Recommendation 4 – Integration of actions from the community, public sector, and voluntary sector

Building on existing health and wellbeing infrastructure, a collaborative partnership approach, which brings together residents’ experience and partners’ skills and assets, should be taken to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Briefing Note of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Board considered a briefing note of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing which provided information on Coventry’s response to obesity in light of national concerns around Covid-19. The briefing note covered why obesity was an important issue; the current local and national figures; factors affecting obesity; the national, regional and local direction; and current work to support the population of Coventry in achieving a healthy weight. The impact of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown had the potential to increase population risk of obesity and it was now known that obesity increased the risk of adverse outcomes of Covid-19. The paper provided information on the Coventry Health Challenge, which was targeting those at highest risk of adverse outcomes from Covid-19, and described some of the work supporting healthy weight across the city with a focus on children and families.

Carmen Baskerville, John Dewsbury and Ann Marie Kennedy, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The briefing note indicated that living with obesity reduced life expectancy by an average 9 years and increased the chance of serious diseases. In relation to Covid, there was an increased risk of hospitalisation, severe symptoms and death. In Coventry, 62.9% of adults were classified as overweight or obese in 2018/19, with 38% of Year 6 pupils being overweight or obese. Factors affecting obesity included deprivation; familial; ethnic background; gender; work stress; and effects of lockdown.

The Board were informed of the Government strategy published in July 2020 ‘Tackling Obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’. This acknowledged what needed to be done to tackle obesity and set out a number of plans to deliver the Better Health campaign. As part of the WMCA Wellbeing Board, Coventry shared the ambition to promote healthy weight and wellbeing as the norm and make it easier for people to choose healthier diets and active lifestyles, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, culture or socio-economic group.

The board had three main outcome areas: healthy weight, physical activity, and mental health and wellbeing.    

In Coventry the focus was on a system-wide effort to support the local population in achieving a healthier weight. Reference was made to The Director of Public Health’s Annual Report 2017, ‘Shape Up Coventry’. The Coventry Childhood Obesity Alliance was established to support the recommendations of the report. The Coventry and Warwickshire Place Forum designated 2019 as the Year of Wellbeing to significantly raise the profile of health and wellbeing opportunities for everyone in the locality.

The Coventry Health Challenge was a current community health campaign supported by the Public Health team, focussing on disseminating simple, clear, actionable health messages to key target groups: people who were overweight, over 55s, people with pre-existing health conditions, smokers and BAME groups. The Challenge was based on the Government’s Better Health campaign, the focus being diet and nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation and immunisations. New toolkits were available each month with a different area of focus within these key themes,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Board considered their work programme for the current municipal year, noting the proposal for a report on Adult Social Care performance to be submitted to their February meeting.

Requests were made for the report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health to be considered in the current year and for an update on Test and Trace to be submitted to the next meeting.   

RESOLVED that:

(1) Adult Social Care Performance be included on the work programme for the meeting on 3rd February.

(2) Child and Adolescent Mental Health to be considered at a Board meeting during the current municipal year.

(3) Consideration to be given to the inclusion of an update on Test and Trace at the Board’s next meeting

(4) The work programme for 2020-21 be approved

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

The Chair, Councillor Clifford reported that West Midlands Ambulance Service had launched their first 100% electric ambulance, the first in the country. He hoped to see them on the roads in Coventry in the near future to help support the climate change agenda. Members expressed support for this initiative.

RESOLVED that a letter be sent to the West Midlands Ambulance Service congratulating them on their launch of the first electric ambulance.