

Health and Wellbeing Board		20 September 2023
Report of the Chair of the York Health and Wellbeing Board

Chair’s report and updates – September 2023

Summary

1. This paper is designed to summarise key issues and progress which has happened in between meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB), giving board members a concise update on a broad range of relevant topics which would otherwise entail separate papers.

2. It will consider:

· Board business.

· Local updates for the board.

· National updates for the board.

· Actions on recommendations from recent Healthwatch reports.

Board Business

1. Following discussions at the last HWB meeting, the new Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference (ToRs) are being drafted in conjunction with colleagues from Democratic Services and will be shared with board members for comment during the autumn.

2. Progress against the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) action plan will also be brought back to the Board at the November 2023 meeting.

Key local updates for the board

(Web links to key documents mentioned included at the end of the paper.)

3. City of York Council has published its four-year Council Plan, with four core commitments at the centre: Equalities, Affordability, Climate and Health. The plan is due to be discussed at the council’s executive meeting in September.

4. An All-Age Commissioning Strategy for the city has been produced and is currently being approved by the council’s executive. The vision is for the council to provide person-centred and outcome-focused care through a sustainable market that is inclusive and well-led, and the Strategy sets out a number of priorities the council will have in its adults and children’s commissioning, including for some key upcoming contracts such as the reablement service.

5. I have had the pleasure of meeting with a number of carers and carer-supporting organisations in the city recently. Only a third of adult carers in York have as much social contact as they like (ASCOF), and 71% of carers have poor physical or mental health (MHF). We are lucky to have a fantastic Carers Centre in York, working in partnership with carers, statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure unpaid carers throughout York have access to confidential information, advice, and support for carers of all ages.

6. Amongst a number of key projects funded by the Health Inequalities Fund this year, the first York Health Mela, a multi-cultural health festival, is being held on 24 September 10am-5pm in the gardens of York art gallery and will be a fantastic mix of diverse music and culture, food, and health promotion.

Key national updates for the board

(Web links to key documents mentioned included at the end of the paper)

7. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have announced that this year’s autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccine programmes will start earlier than planned in England as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant, which according to the latest risk assessment by UKHSA (the UK Health Security Agency) has a high number of mutations and has appeared in several countries in individuals without travel history. Eligibility for the vaccine (over 65s, those at risk, care home residents, health and care staff) has not changed. Vaccinations started on 11 September 2023, with adult care home residents and those most at risk to receive vaccines first, and flu and COVID-19 vaccines delivered at the same time where possible.

8. A new national suicide prevention strategy 2023-2028 has been published, with the aim to reduce the national suicide rate over the next five years. The Strategy sets out a roadmap for providing tailored, targeted support to priority groups, including children and young people, middle-aged men, people who have self-harmed, people in contact with mental health services, people in contact with the justice system, autistic people, pregnant women, and new mothers. It also sets out to address common risk factors linked to suicide at a population level by providing early intervention and tailored support. These are physical illness, financial difficulty and economic adversity, gambling, alcohol and drug misuse, social isolation and loneliness, and domestic abuse.

9. National smoking prevalence data has been published, which shows that the proportion of people smoking in York has fallen to 8.7%, the 17^th lowest rate in the country, and a larger drop than that seen nationally.

10. The UK Health Security Agency replaced Public Health England last year as the national body overseeing the response to infectious disease and hazards to health. Their new 3-year strategy sets out their priorities including responding to health hazards, improving health outcomes through vaccines, reducing the impact of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, protecting health from threats in the environment, improving action on health security through data and insight and developing UKHSA as a high-performing agency.

11. £25m has been announced by the DHSC to create Women’s Health Hubs, bringing together local services from local gynaecology through to menopause clinics, contraception services and sexual health clinics.

12. The NHS has released its winter planning letter, setting out operational planning requirements for systems to cope with winter pressures this year. People will remember that last year, high levels of flu and COVID-19, the rise in cases of scarlet fever/strep A, together with NHS backlogs and pressures, meant a very difficult winter for the NHS which to some extent still feeds through into current high levels of activity, and potentially lay behind a rise in excess deaths seen nationally and in York.

Recommendations from recent Healthwatch reports

13. In July 2023 the HWB received two York Healthwatch reports:

· Health and the Cost of Living in York

· Breaking Point, A Recent History of Mental Health Crisis Care in York

14. The recommendations from these reports are included as an annexe to this paper, and the Chair will be asking relevant board members for an update on progress at today’s meeting.

Author:

Chief Officer Responsible for

the report:

Peter Roderick

Acting Director of Public Health

Co-Author:

Cllr Jo Coles

Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care

Peter Roderick

Acting Director of Public Health

Report Approved

Date