Agenda and draft minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 October 2023 as a true and correct record.

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 October 2023.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 18 October 2023 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

To provide the Health and Wellbeing Board with a final draft of the new Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024-2028 and update on the process.

The Board received a final draft of the new Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024-2028 and an update on the process for final approval. Ms Liz Petch, Consultant in Public Health, reminded members of four main priority areas which had been agreed by the Board and reconfirmed at the meeting on the 18 October 2023 along with their respective sub-priorities that had been drafted namely:

·         Priority 1: Starting Well – this includes addressing challenges such as smoking in pregnancy and childhood obesity.

·         Priority 2: Education, Employment and Training –this includes a specific focus on the year round economy, tackling seasonality, and valuing core community contributions.

·         Priority 3: Living Well – this includes initiatives related to smoking, drugs and alcohol consumption, and promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

·         Priority 4: Housing – this includes proactive outreach to identify early signs of housing failures, enhancing the health sectors understanding of housing issues, and lobbying the government to extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector

In response to questions from the Board, Ms Petch reminded members that these priorities were set as those area represented where the Council as the body behind the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy could have the greatest impact. It had always been intended that the strategy would supplement other strategies so to bring about improvements in health and life expectancy. In a number of areas there had been a conscious choice to avoid duplication or conflict with other strategies and plans.

The Board expressed positive views on the draft document and agreed to move forward to the consultation stage with the intention to bring back the document and consultation responses to the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting on 13 March 2024. The consultation would run from the 15 December 2023 – 12 February 2024.

Resolved:

To agree that the process for development of the new Strategy proceeds to the public consultation stage, with partners and stakeholders encouraged to review and comment on the final draft during the consultation period. 

To update the Health and Wellbeing Board on recent progress and developments regarding Blackpool’s Place-based partnership specific to the Better Care Fund (BCF)

Karen Smith, Director of Adult Social Services / Director of Health and Care Integration, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), updated the Health and Wellbeing Board on recent progress and developments regarding Blackpool’s Place-based partnership specific to the Better Care Fund (BCF). Ms Smith explained that across the Lancashire and South Cumbria area of the Integrated Care Board, the Better Care Fund arrangements varied with a significant amount of that variation due to legacy Clinical Commissioning Group arrangements. It was considered that the review would be necessary to ensure understanding, assurance, alignment, clarity of purpose and transparency. Ms Smith outlined that the Integrated Care Board believed that it was important to review the Better Care Fund spend in a coordinated way as a first step to developing a consistent approach that will both enable economies of scale on an Lancashire and South Cumbria footprint and allow for tailoring at place level to meet the differing population need and inequality prevalence. 

The Board accepted the principle of the review but emphasised its view that future of the Better Care Fund should be driven by the positive outcomes delivered by the existing arrangements in Blackpool with changes only to address the issues identified and avoided a fixed approach.

Resolved:

To support, in principle, the future delegation of Better Care Fund budgets from Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board to place localities, as part of the implementation of the Place Integration Deal and note a proposal has been developed to undertake an independent review of our existing Better Care Fund arrangements.

To seek approval of the Healthy Weight Strategy 2023 - 2028.

The Board considered the Healthy Weigh Strategy 2023-2026. Ms Liz Petch, Consultant in Public Health, explained how the new Health Weight Strategy 2023-2028 set out it is planned to respond to local needs in relation to high levels of obesity and how the council and other key stakeholders can work together with residents and communities to reduce these levels, and so improving healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities.

The Board noted the rationale behind the need for an updated strategy, noted the success of the previous strategy had achieved a number of successes and signing of the Healthy Weight Declaration. The commitment of employers, schools and other partners in offering healthy choices was noted and it was considered that such schemes were pivotal in addressing healthy weight. The Board accepted that work on healthy weight had slowed during and after the Covid pandemic so combined with an increase in obesity during the pandemic it was timely to refresh and update the strategy and also to relaunch the Healthy Weight Declaration.

Ms Petch highlighted the strategy’s ambition: “We want our residents to be able to make healthy choices from pre-birth and throughout life; starting with healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding and continuing through key life stages to a healthy and active old age”. The Board endorsed this ambition and the detailed priorities which undermined the ambition.

The Board held a brief discussion on the strategy and broader principles of healthy weight. It expressed a positive view of the approach outlined and emphasised its view that while obesity was a major health concern it was key that a range of options formed part of the solution noting the links between obesity and poverty. The Board endorsed an approach that included a range of solutions and empowered people to make the right choices including increasing physical activity while avoiding negative or judgemental approaches.

Resolved:

To approve the Healthy Weight Strategy 2023-2028 attached at Appendix 5a to the agenda with effect until the 31 December 2028.

To raise awareness of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation

on “Stopping the start- plan to create a smokefree generation” and provide details of

the burden of tobacco addiction on health and society and the reasoning behind the

need for large scale change to tackle the issue. 

The Board received a presentation from Ms Liz Petch, Consultant in Public Health,  to raise awareness of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation on “Stopping the start- plan to create a smokefree generation” and provide details of the burden of tobacco addiction on health and society and the reasoning behind the need for large scale change to tackle the issue. Ms Petch reminded the Board than smoking remained the greatest single cause of health inequalities in the UK and that to achieve the Board’s ambitions it remained key to help the 21,000 current smokers in Blackpool to quit and to resist young people taking up smoking. Ms Petch outlined to the Board that these proposals were in line with the aspirations of the Tobacco Free Lancashire and South Cumbria Strategy 2023-2027 approved by the Board at its meeting on 27 June 2023.

The Board noted and endorsed the proposed legislation on making smoking illegal for those born after 1 January 2009 and in doing so implementing the recommendation of the Khan report.

The Board considered the proposal to double spending across England to Local Stop Smoking Services to £138million over the next 5 years. The Board emphasised its view when the Tobacco Free Lancashire and South Cumbria Strategy 2023-2027 had been approved by the Board that a range of approaches informed by lived experience would be essential in delivering those objectives.

The Board also noted the consultation on vaping, it applauded the work completed by the Healthwatch but expressed concern about the extremely high levels of young people vaping. It considered that the banning of products marketed to young people and single use vapes would clearly be beneficial.

Resolved:

To acknowledge the health harms associated with tobacco addiction and note proposals national Government are recommending for action in order to tackle this significant public health issue. All of the proposed recommendations for action are in line with the previously agreed and adopted Tobacco Free Lancashire and South Cumbria Strategy 2023-2028.

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Wednesday 13 March 2024 commencing at 3.00pm.

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Wednesday 13 March 2024 commencing at 3.00pm.