Agenda item

This report provides the Health and Wellbeing Board with the findings of a “Stock take of Engagement” undertaken on behalf of the Board to support the development and implementation of the Board’s Communications and Engagement Strategy. The report includes prioritised recommendations for the Board to consider. 

Discussion:

(Note: During consideration of this item The Very Reverend Dr Mark Beach, Healthwatch Medway left the meeting and his substitute, Bridget Bygrave replaced him).

Lorraine Denoris from the Public Engagement Agency introduced the report on the development of the Communications and Engagement Strategy and responded to Board Members’ questions.

She referred to the changing landscape in the NHS and in particular the local changes and challenges and stated that the Strategy would continue to need to be developed to respond to these.  She also mentioned a certain amount of confusion in the system about the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the duties of the various partners on the Board in relation to engagement with the public.  Her review had identified that there were gaps in the engagement skills locally and that engagement was not co-ordinated or systematic.  However there was an appreciation of the benefits of organisations working together more closely on this agenda.

Discussion took place around the merits of a health summit to avoid duplication around engagement although there was some concern that there would still need to be consultation from individual components of the Health and Wellbeing Board.  Lorraine suggested that by using different tools/techniques and methods of engagement it was be possible to have more successful engagement generally to attract a wider audience.  Reference was made to the value of raw data from the public, in particular if they are interviewed as they leave hospital about their experience for example.

The Chief Clinical Officer from NHS Medway CCG referred to the importance of every Member of the Board taking collective responsibility so that there are no “not us” answers for the public as they navigate the system of health and social care.  He referred to concerns about what was missing from the Strategy.  Lorraine Denoris mentioned the need to ensure feedback was given at all stages of the commissioning cycle and that the system should respond and look to work together more effectively.

The Healthwatch Medway representative requested an interim item be included in the work programme on engagement from Healthwatch Medway.

In relation to the prospect of a ‘simulation exercise’ the Local Area Team Director, NHS Kent and Medway asked what topic might be useful if this was to be taken forward, and suggested that integration might be a helpful topic.  The Director of Public Health felt that the implications of the Better Care Fund would be a useful topic.

The Deputy Director emphasised the need to adapt services following feedback and made reference to the valuable feedback on the homecare service, which was triangulated with views from staff.

Reference was made to the need for the Board to do a sense check with what other Health and Wellbeing Boards were doing across the country in relation to communications and engagement to see what works well and what does not.  The view was expressed that by having a smaller Health and Wellbeing Board it was easier to work together in a very focussed way, and that larger Health and Wellbeing Boards were not conducive to this.

In relation to recommendation 6 on page 54 of the agenda the Director of Public Health suggested that it might be possible to build this into the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to allow people to access the information more easily.

Decision: 

The Board noted the report and agreed to prioritise recommendations 1,2, 3, 7 and 11 as set out on pages 53 and 54 of the agenda.