Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Scrutiny Board received a presentation and considered a report of the Director of Public Services which provided an overview of how the Public Health Department was working in partnership with colleagues across the City Council to reduce health inequalities in Coventry. Councillor Gingell, Chair of the Health and Well-being Board and Councillor Clifford, Deputy Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services attended the meeting for the consideration of this item. Officers from the Council Directorates also attended to report on individual projects.

The report provided information about the impact of health inequalities; the way Public Health had worked to reduce health inequalities; the projects and initiatives that aimed to make a difference and the outcomes of those initiatives to date; and the proposed next steps for reducing health inequalities over the next three years. 

The presentation referred to the different life expectancies in different areas of the city using the number 10 bus route. Reference was made to Coventry’s role as a Marmot City and to the successful Marmot City Conference held in Coventry on 26^th March, 2015. Professor Sir Michael Marmot was now holding up the city as an example of best practice for adopting Marmot principles when speaking at international events. Coventry had been chosen to continue on the Marmot programme for a further three years.

The Board were informed about a number of projects whereby Public Health worked with other Council Directorates to reduce health inequalities across the city. These included The Acting Early programme which involved integrated teams operating in six priority areas to give disadvantaged and vulnerable children the best start in life and a readiness for school; The Pod, a social brokerage for people with longstanding mental health issues to support them to take control of their own lives and to identify what would help them to live healthy and fulfilled lives; and placing a mental health worker in the Council’s Job Shop for a six month period to help existing staff extend their knowledge and develop skills to help those with mental health difficulties to find suitable work. Other projects included Cycle Coventry which aimed to reduce health inequalities by improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians and over 1,100 children had accessed cycle training and bike maintenance sessions and the implementation of the Social Value Policy which enabled the Council to ensure that services across the city were improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of the city.

The proposed next steps for reducing health inequalities over the next three years included the partnership work with the Marmot Team; the development of a Marmot Strategy alongside the development of the Health and Well-being Strategy; a focus on ‘good growth’ and the continued partnership working across the Council and other agencies.

The Board questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided. Matters raised included:

·  Further details about the life expectancy figures for the city including healthy life expectancy and ill-health and a request for detailed information relating to areas such as ethnicity and disability

·  How successful was information sharing following the introduction of the information sharing agreement between partners working in the Acting Early programme

·  The funding implications for the Acting Early programme

·  Working with GPs to encourage early prevention and diagnosis

·  The work to change lifestyles in relation to smoking and obesity and the importance of health checks for the over 40s

·  The importance of healthy foods and the healthy eating initiatives

·  The support given to schools and to individual families

·  The marketing of the Cycle Coventry programme

·  The work of the Community Development Team, with particular reference to engagement with communities including the hard to reach and working in the deprived areas

·  The importance of people being in a safe and well cared for environment with residents taking pride in their area

·  Further details about the number of citizens suffering with dementia

·  The work with the local universities to reduce the number of people in the city with sexually transmitted infections.

It was agreed that further data about health outcomes for the city would be submitted to the Health and Well-being Board prior to being circulated to all members of the Council. 

RESOLVED that:

(1) The suggested approach for continuing to reduce health inequalities in Coventry be endorsed.

(2) A specific Health Inequalities question be included in the Cabinet/Cabinet Member report template to measure how Marmot aims will impact on any decisions being made.

(3) The Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) be requested to consider how the Community Development Team works in the neighbourhoods, with particular reference to the hard to reach and disadvantaged communities and individuals, and how support is offered to the most vulnerable.

(4) The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services be requested to explore further budget sharing opportunities in relation to health inequalities.

(5) The Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment be requested to continue on-going discussions to explore opportunities to continue funding TESS in the Job Shop.

(6) A progress report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in six months on the work undertaken by Public Health to reduce health inequalities, with particular reference to the environmental aspect.

(7) A briefing note be circulated to all members informing of the marketing for Cycle Coventry, with particular reference to what is happening in the deprived communities.