Issue - meetings

30 minutes

The Health and Wellbeing Board is asked to consider performance of the Health Inequalities Network and the B&NES Health Inequalities Fund (BHIF) projects.

Sarah Heathcote, Health Inequalities Manager/Paul Scott, Consultant & Associate Director of Public Health

Sarah Heathcote/Paul Scott gave a presentation (attached as an appendix to these minutes).

The following two questions were put forward for the consideration of the Board.

1.  Any comments, clarifications or questions on the report content?

The Board responded as follows:

1.  How did this work tie in with other inequalities work, e.g., the Youth Trailblazer scheme and closing the education attainment gap?  The funding was focussed on health care, although the Health Inequalities Manager had created networks and made links with other inequalities projects. 

2.  It was recognised that there had been an unprecedented level of evaluation/focus on outcomes in relation to this funding aimed at addressing health inequalities.

3.  Had there been challenges with secondary care?  There had been good engagement with both primary and secondary care and the steering group provided strategic leadership but there were understandable challenges in terms of operational day to day pressures.

4.  As there was uncertainty about future funding post-March 2026, there was a need for this work to be integrated into the mainstream, e.g., every plan/report/business case to address health inequalities implications.

2. In the context of wider organisational change and uncertainty regarding the health inequalities funding stream from April 2026, what role can the Health and Wellbeing Board play in sustaining progress on Health Inequalities in B&NES?

a.  Are there opportunities as part of the JHWS strategy implementation plan refresh?

-  Include an explicit focus on delivery to and outcomes for specific disadvantaged groups across the 4 priority theme areas?

-  Where possible ensure that actions address inequalities?

b.  Can the process for monitoring the implementation plan do more to support addressing inequality?

c.  Could development sessions include focus on inequalities?

-  Are there other opportunities e.g. extending the Core Indicator Set; Biannual Exception Reporting Process; requirement for board papers….?

-  Board members champion inequalities through their board and wider organisational roles.

1.  The Board agreed that there was an opportunity to sustain the work on addressing health inequalities as part of the JHWS strategy implementation plan refresh, but there was a limit to what could be achieved by the implementation plan alone.  Leaders of partner organisations had a responsibility to develop and promote this work.

2.  It was noted that there was work being done within individual organisations and there was a challenge to make sure work was linked especially as network meetings may not continue after the end of funding in March 2026.

3.  There was an opportunity for a deep dive at development sessions.

4.  There could be an explicit reference in the template for meetings to ensure that each topic discussed addressed health inequalities.

The Board RESOLVED to:

1.  note the performance of the Health Inequalities Network and the B&NES Health Inequalities Fund (BHIF) projects.

2.  note the risks to the Health Inequalities work going forward and to consider its role in advocating and championing a continued focus on Place-Based work to address health equity.