Agenda item

Expect Better: 2017 Annual Report of the Director of Health and Wellbeing - Statutory Director of Public Health

Minutes:

Councillor-Chris_Jones LATEST

Councillor Chris Jones, said:

 

We have made great progress in supporting people to live healthier lives: focussed action on helping people stop smoking, drink more responsibly and eat healthier has delivered some outstanding results.

 

We know there are still challenges to overcome, and the 2017 Public Health Annual Report provides an extremely helpful snapshot of the health of the Wirral population.  It is there to help plan our services and how we invest our resources, and I am sure will help us to achieve new and greater successes in the coming year”.

 

Councillor Chris Jones introduced a report and appended Annual Report of the Director of Public Health (DPH).  The Annual Report was the professional statement of the Director about the health of the local population. 

 

The 2017 Annual Report focused on avoidable deaths and was titled Expect Better.  It supported the delivery of the Wirral 2020 Plan and the pledge ‘Wirral Residents Live Healthier Lives’.

 

The Cabinet noted that the Annual Report aimed to inform the public and local services of the principal causes of avoidable deaths in Wirral and demonstrated the inequalities that existed across the Borough.  It also advised local services and residents on actions to improve health and prevent avoidable deaths.  To aid awareness, this year’s report was accompanied by a short animated film.  This displayed and explained much of the data contained in the report and aimed to improve understanding of the problems and suggested solutions. 

 

Councillor Jones highlighted the inequalities in life expectancy across Wirral which showed that this could be partially explained by differences in avoidable mortality – deaths which might be prevented through public health interventions or better healthcare provision.  Rates of deaths due to conditions considered avoidable varied by as much as five times in men and three times in women across the Borough.

 

Councillor Jones informed that people living in Wirral’s more deprived areas tended to live shorter lives with a greater proportion of their lives spent in poor health. The early onset of illnesses or disability could place a greater burden on the health and social care system than when people lived longer in good health.  Around a quarter of deaths in Wirral were from conditions considered avoidable e.g. diseases related to smoking, poor diet, high blood pressure and alcohol. It was noted that taking action at any age was very important.

 

The Cabinet noted that there was a marked variation in the uptake of immunisations, NHS Health Checks and cancer screening tests across the Borough and these inequalities needed to be addressed. Improving rates of uptake could have significant health benefits to Wirral’s residents.  It would save lives.

 

How people perceive their symptoms and the likelihood of developing serious diseases could have a big impact on how they reacted to them.  If people saw illnesses as unavoidable or untreatable, they may be less likely to attend screening appointments, consult for symptoms or take up offers of treatment.

 

There were many reasons why people might have lower expectations for their health. Everyone should expect better. The Council was committed to taking action to support people to live longer, healthier lives.

 

The DPH was invited to speak to her report and informed that she saw it as a chance to set an ideal collective challenge.  It was appropriate to focus on avoidable deaths as there was something that could be done about them.  There was a chance for people to have a much better quality of life.  Efforts would continue to be focused on making the difference.

 

Councillor Janette Williamson informed that she was shocked at the mortality rates in different parts of the Borough.  She was pleased that people in the more deprived parts of the Borough were being targeted.

 

Councillor Angie Davies congratulated the DPH on her excellent report.  It was an aspirational report that made the link between mental and physical health.  She asked what work was being carried out to ensure people were getting invited to Health Checks.

 

The DPH replied that her Officers were in the process of recommissioning the Health Checks Programme with an emphasis on those people who had not taken up the offer of a Health Check.

 

Councillor Matthew Patrick drew attention to the following statement on page 27 of the DPH’s Annual Report:

 

  ‘If you are aged 40 – 74, with no previous history of cardiovascular disease, you are eligible for a free Health Check every 5 years at your GP practice.  This is an excellent opportunity to get your blood pressure checked as well as looking at your weight, diet, smoking, lifestyle, memory and family history.’ 

 

Councillor Patrick requested the DPH to circulate a breakdown, by ward, of the take up of these Health Checks to Cabinet Members.

 

Councillor Phil Davies reported that the DPH’s Annual Report had highlighted the most pressing challenge the Council faced to close health inequalities that existed in East and West Wirral.  It was important to ensure that this remained the highest priority and the Cabinet report considered immediately before this one at this meeting was linked to it.  He considered it equally important to target economic efforts to get people back into work and that the communities with the highest levels of unemployment needed opportunities to get the jobs.  There was a direct connection between growth and addressing the main focus of the DPH’s Annual Report.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Cabinet supports the communication of the DPH’s Annual Report which is appended to the report and the animation https://youtu.be/kEC2W41ZtlE

Supporting documents: