Issue - meetings

The Board is asked to note the annual report of the Health Protection Board for 2017/18 and to support the recommended priorities for the Health Protection Board in 2018/19.

10.55am – 25 minutes – Rebecca Reynolds

The Board considered a report which set out the progress made by the Health Protection Board on the priorities and recommendations made in the 2016/17 report, highlighted the key areas of work that had taken place in 2017/18 and identified priorities for the next 12 months.

Becky Reynolds, Consultant in Public Health and Anna Brett, Health Protection Manager, gave a presentation regarding the work of the Board which covered the following issues:

·  What is health protection?

·  Specialist areas covered by the Board

·  Progress on 2016/17 priorities that were implemented in 2017/18

·  Priorities that were RAG rated GREEN in 2017/18

·  Ensuring that the public are informed about emerging threats to health – such as outbreaks of measles

·  Supporting the review of the Bath Air Quality Action Plan and the implementation of the actions in the Saltford and Keynsham Air Quality Action Plans

·  St Andrew’s C of E Primary School Clean Air Day

·  Priorities that were RAG rated AMBER in 2017/18

·  Reduction of health inequalities in screening and immunisation programmes

·  Improving uptake of flu vaccinations

·  Priorities for 2018/19

A copy of the presentation slides is attached as Appendix 2 to these minutes.

Cllr Vic Pritchard welcomed the comprehensive report and noted the low rate of teenage conceptions in B&NES and noted that this was the fourth biggest local authority reduction - over the period from 1998 to 2016 in England.  He expressed disappointment regarding the low uptake of seasonal flu vaccination by staff working for Virgin Care Services and hoped that they would take a more proactive approach this year.

Sarah Shatwell stated that she would welcome the inclusion of voluntary sector workers in the NHS England seasonal flu vaccination programme.

RESOLVED:

(1)  To note the annual report of the Health Protection Board for 2017/18.

(2)  To support the following priorities for the Health Protection Board in 2018/19:

·  Assurance: continue to monitor performance of specialist areas, identify risks, ensure mitigation is in place and escalate as necessary.

·  Continue to actively participate in the management of outbreaks and incidents with partner agencies to slow down and prevent the spread of communicable disease and manage environmental hazards.

·  Continue to ensure that the public are informed about emerging threats to health.

·  Support the development and implementation of the Air Quality Action Plans for the five Air Quality Management Areas.

·  Improve the uptake of flu vaccinations in at risk groups, pregnant women, health and social care workers (including those in the voluntary sector) and carers.

·  Continue to reduce health inequalities in screening and immunisation programmes