Agenda item

This report presents the Health and Wellbeing Board with the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2017-18. The theme of the report is health protection - Protecting the Health of Medway’s Population: now and for the future.

Discussion

The Director of Public Health presented the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2017-18 and explained to the Board the theme of this years’ report was health protection. It was noted that the report was a retrospective evaluation of the previous year and that the report addressed nine key areas of health protection, which were:

1. Infectious diseases and food-borne illness;

2. Seasonal influenza;

3. Screening;

4. Emergency preparedness;

5. Sexual health and blood-borne viruses;

6. Health care associated infections;

7. Air quality;

8. Tuberculosis; and

9. Vaccinations.

It was added that these issues had a significant impact on the population and were areas where action was required to address future challenges to Medway’s health.

The Boards attention was drawn to the case studies within the report which illustrated good practice and the recommendations for system wide improvement and ideas on what people in Medway could do to protect their health.

In response to a comment about the different emphases of the recommendations i.e. to continue good practice versus stating something must or should happen, it was recognised by the Director of Public Health that wording of the recommendations had varied. He stated that the report was an amalgam of activity from a range of partners and that some areas of work had progressed well and further improvement should be encouraged to continue. He added that the report included Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART) targets. He undertook to provide the Member with more detailed action plans in relation to the targets.

A Member expressed the view that the recommendations should be more positive in nature, for example the recommendation should actively encourage a specified action.

Clarification was sought regarding actions parents and schools should take when a child contracted norovirus, particular reference was made to schools requesting children visit their GP to obtain a sick note. In response, it was explained to the Board that the Public Health team had previously issued schools with guidance on the topic. This guidance advised schools that they should not request a sick note from a child absent from school as a result of norovirus, as it was recommended that the child does not visit their GP. The guidance also signposted schools to the School Health team which could offer further support. The elected Clinical Member, NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group added that there was a drive to promote self-care for self limiting illnesses and to encourage individuals to manage common illness in the home. In preparation for this year, the Director of Public Health undertook to issue further guidance to schools and at the request of a Member, he agreed to include this guidance within Medway Matters.

A member commended the 2017/18 Annual Report, principally the emphasis on health protection as this suggested health was the responsibility of Medway as a whole. The view was reiterated that Medway needed to be healthier by design and health and wellbeing embedded into strategic thinking.

In response to questions concerning how the Council could promote healthy choices, including hydration, the Board was advised that at the most recent Kent and Medway STP prevention workstream meeting, the issue of promoting healthier options in vending machines was discussed. The Board was also advised that Medway Council’s Communications team were undertaking a project to increase access to water in local venues. It was suggested that Members of the Board might like to make a pledge towards a particular healthy choice.

In response to a question seeking an understanding of the true percentage of the Medway population taking up the offer of HIV testing i.e. comparing the rate of individuals requesting testing in Medway to national data, the Director of Public Health undertook to provide the benchmarked data to the Member.

At the request of the Member, the Director of Public Health undertook to liaise with Healthwatch Medway to present more widely the key information within the Annual Report.

Decision

The Health and Wellbeing Board noted this report, findings and recommendations.