Agenda item

Members are asked to consider the information presented within the report and note the key issues described.

Dr Bruce Laurence, Director of Public Health addressed the Select Committee, a summary of his update is set out below.

Suicide Prevention

Our Suicide Prevention Strategy Group has now agreed the BANES Suicide Prevention Strategy for 2016- 2019. 2012-14 data shows a slight decrease in the number of deaths by suicide in BANES.  Following a period when BANES had gone above the England average this means it is now the same, unlike the SW as a whole which remains higher than the England average.

Warm homes

Current public health training sessions with housing colleagues aimed at frontline practitioners who come into contact with vulnerable and low income groups who are at risk from living in cold homes. 35 practitioners from a wide variety of organisations are due to attend. This is linked to the large grant we received last year to make heating and insulation improvements in people’s homes who suffer with a long term condition, disability etc. referrals need to come via a health/social care practitioner.

National Child Measurement Programme results 2014-15

Reception Year (4/5 year olds) – Nearly one in four are overweight or obese; and around one in nine are obese (both similar to national and regional rates).

Year 6 (10/11 year olds) – just over one in four are overweight or obese; and around one in seven are obese (both lower than national and regional rates).

No significant changes in figures since 2006/07

There have been sensitivities around this programme which we are working on. A national childhood obesity strategy is expected shortly.

Alcohol

We are taking part in a new project with Alcohol Concern and Adfam to address the needs of families and carers of treatment resistant drinkers, which will begin in February 2016.

This project will work with family support and treatment providers, and families/carers themselves to survey and analyse their experiences at a local level.

New alcohol consumption guidelines have been published. They are now gender equal and have settled on the previous, and lower, women’s total. The guidance and the responses demonstrate how difficult it is to encapsulate the complex interaction of human and ethanol into simple rules… but the growth of alcohol related illness demonstrates the need to provide some guidance.

Survey for Making Every Contact Count (MECC) continuing professional development needs

MECC is about the principle of engaging a wider group of people as potential health champions, and Public Health England’s local network is looking for interest and needs in a “second wave” of people, including Councillors following a first wave survey of the health workforce and subsequent training last year.

Councillor Tim Ball said that he was concerned over potential bullying from the results of the Child Measurement Programme and said that his own grandchildren had withdrawn from the survey as he felt that it should be led by GP’s not schools.

Dr Laurence replied that information relating to the results should only be given to the parents and that children are not directly advised to lose weight but to have a better diet and take part in more exercise.

Councillor Tim Ball said that it was likely that children would talk about the matter directly after being weighed.

Councillor Lin Patterson asked if there were any records that would show that hospital admissions due to air pollution, specifically from the London Road were a concern.

Dr Laurence replied that it was nearly impossible to have data that was this detailed and that there would need to be a substantial level of cases to perform an analysis.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson wished to congratulate those associated with Mental Health Services and suicide prevention. She suggested that farmers, due to increased work pressure and isolation and cancer patients could be two groups to monitor.

Dr Laurence thanked her for her comments and said he would take them on board.

The Chair thanked him for his update on behalf of the Select Committee.