Agenda item

Report of Alison Challenger, Director of Public Health

Gayle Aughton, Commissioning Manager, presented the report which informed the Committee of the outcome of the ward-level research and recent consultation on the health profile of Nottingham’s citizens to ensure that commissioning of Public Health Services will appropriately and most effectively meet the health needs of the local population.

Consultation included gathering information on the preferences of citizens with regard to venues and time of day to contact and access services. This feedback has proved very valuable and will be applied to future commissioning of health services by Public Health.

Internet links are provided in the report to a variety of Public Health statistical and commissioning information:

The health profiles can be found on the Nottingham Insight website:

https://nottinghaminsight.org.uk/f/96676/Library/Public-Health/

The Adults Healthy Lifestyle Strategic Commissioning Review can be accessed at:

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/business-information-and-support/commissioning-contracting-and-procurement/commissioning-contracting-and-procurement-latest-news/

The report also included a summary of each Area Committee findings from the consultation, the questions of which included: 

(i)    How can we support citizens to access services which will help them to have a healthy lifestyle?

(ii)  What are the barriers /gaps?

(iii)  What enablers can help overcome these barriers?

(iv)  How can we make services more attractive to hard to reach groups?

(v)  What works well in your area?

The report also noted how Councillor local knowledge and input has contributed to shaping the new model of ‘Adults Healthy Lifestyles’ and a summary of the Nottingham City Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

A ‘you said, we did’ response has been taken to feedback from the consultation.

The Public Health team is keen to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with Area Committees for information sharing of what does and doesn’t work, why services may not be performing as expected for citizens and how to improve access and services.

The main benefits of Public Health engaging with Area Committees includes:

·  increasing efficiency, saving officer time in undertaking community based questions with citizens;

·  improved quality of engagement with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders

·  increasing effectiveness, supporting evidence of services being developed to meet the needs of citizens, or requiring amendments.

The next steps to strengthening the link between Public Health and Area Committees includes:

·  investigation into linking Area Committee priorities with up and coming strategic commissioning reviews;

·  considering what would be the most effective and efficient way of communicating to Area Committees Public Health updates and key information.  

The committee made the following comments:

·  more work could be done to address teenage pregnancy in the local areas;

·  there needed to be a ‘more visible’ mental health service in the Sherwood area:

·  more should be done to educate / encourage people to live a more healthy lifestyle.

RESOLVED

(1) to note the approach and work undertaken to date towards improving the health of citizens;

(2) that members of the Committee forward to the Commissioning Manager:

(a)   any additional suggestions to ensure that Area Committee Plans are in line and supportive of the Council’s priorities and responsibilities for improving the health of citizens;

(b) any requests for additional knowledge or support they would require to progress their work on the Public Health and Wellbeing agenda within the local area.