Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Public Health seeking comments and feedback on the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017-2025.

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Public Health seeking comments and feedback on the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017-2025.

Councillor Shields (Cabinet Member for Health and Sustainability and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board); the Director of Public Health and the Service Lead, Policy, Partnerships and Strategic Planning; Annabel Hodgson from Healthwatch Southampton and Joe Hannigan and Penny Turpin members of the public were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of matters and concerns including:

·  the 5 areas of focus and priorities set out within the draft Strategy;

·  the welcomed emphasis on children as a priority within the Strategy;

·  the broad approach of the strategy and the need to advocate and deliver approaches even if they were politically challenging; and

·  the potential to use funding collected through the Community Infrastructure Levy to contribute to health and wellbeing projects.

RESOLVED that

(i)  the Panel welcomed the priorities set out in the strategy and the 5 stated areas of focus.  The Panel were encouraged by the emphasis on children’s health and urged the Cabinet Member to prioritise issues such as diet, dental health and obesity to improve outcomes for children in recognition that this will in time improve health outcomes across the city.  The Panel recognised that this cannot be achieved in isolation and welcomed the commitment to working with schools, and other partners to help deliver improvements in children’s health.

(ii)  the Panel considered that wording relating to the management of risk by adolescent children be given further consideration to give it a greater resonance and make it realistic and achievable.  In addition the Panel requested that emphasis on workplace wellbeing should be broadened to include employers and employees.

(iii)  that the Panel requested that mental health be given a greater prominence within the strategy.

(iv)  the Panel looked to the Health and Wellbeing Board to demonstrate strategic leadership, to learn from best practice from around the world to inform action, and to champion initiatives that would improve health and wellbeing outcomes in the city, even if it presents potentially challenging political conversations with residents.