Agenda item

(20 minutes)

To consider the Board’s role in delivering Bath and North East Somerset elements of the Inequalities Strategy.

Paul Scott/Annette Luker

Paul Scott, Associate Director and Consultant on Public Health, B&NES gave a presentation on the BSW Inequalities Strategy as follows:

Phase 1: Awareness Raising

Phase 2: Healthcare Inequality

NHS Five Key Priorities

1.  Restore service inclusively

2.  Mitigate against digital exclusion

3.  Ensure datasets are timely and complete

4.  Accelerate preventative programmes

5.  Leadership and accountability

Core 20 Plus 5

·  Core 20% of most deprived areas

·  PLUS Groups (defined at place):

o  Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (Swindon)

o  Routine and Manual workers (Wiltshire)

o  Socially excluded and vulnerable groups including looked after children and migrants (B&NES)

·  Five clinical areas:

1.  Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

2.  Maternity

3.  Respiratory

4.  Cancer

5.  Mental Health (including children and young people)

Phase 3: Prevention and social, economic, and environmental factors

Priority Areas:

·  Anchor institutions.

·  Publish three place-based Joint Strategic Needs Assessments for B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire.

·  Establish local priorities that address public health and the social, economic and environmental factors most affecting inequalities at place.

·  Plan and enable progress on prevention where outcomes will take longer to see.

Committed areas of focus:

·  Whole system approach to obesity.

·  Whole system approach to smoking.

Cross cutting themes: Population Health Management (PHM): Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Workforce: Prevention; Personalised care.

Paul Scott responded to questions from Board Members as follows:

1.  The phases did not need to run sequentially, phase 1 and phase 2 could run concurrently.

2.  It would be a challenge to include reference to the current cost of living crisis as this affected everyone, but he would look to include this as part of the strategy refresh in recognition that some groups would be more impacted.

3.  He would check that rural communities were included as one of the PLUS groups in the B&NES area as this was a common theme arising from consultation on the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Board raised the following comments:

1.  David Trethewey welcomed the strategy and emphasised the importance of long-term planning as well as short term projects to deliver the objectives.  Kate Morton concurred with this view and stressed the need to shift from short-term funding streams to a more sustainable approach.

2.  Paul Harris commented that it would be useful to have an overview on what funding streams were available and how these funds were spent.  This would enable Board members to consider whether money could be spent more effectively to deliver priorities.  Rebecca Reynolds advised that there was a table of funding streams which had been shared with Directors of Public Health in the south west and she undertook to find out if there was a breakdown specific to B&NES.

3.  It was noted that there were a number of different strategies currently being developed and it was important that the Inequalities Strategy was a common thread that linked with other strategies.  Rebecca Reynolds responded that there was a common link between those responsible for developing the strategies which would help ensure alignment.

4.  Julia Griffith reported that the Primary Care sector was aware of issues arising from inequalities and her colleagues had already planned a training session to look at the strategy and how it could be implemented.

The Board RESOLVED to;

1)  Support the ambitions of the BSW Inequality Strategy.

2)  Provide any feedback for the refresh of the Strategy.

3)  Consider the status of tackling inequalities as an objective or cross cutting
principle in the forthcoming refresh of the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

4)  Identify how best to align this BSW system wide strategy with B&NES
partnerships and plans, including receiving updates on the Strategy’s progress.