Agenda and minutes

Members will declare any interests they may have in any item to be considered at this meeting, prior to any discussion taking place on that item.

The other registrable interests of Councillors of Devon County Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: A list of county councillors who are also district, borough, city, parish or town councillors.

The Chair reminded Members they should declare any interests they may have in any item to be considered, prior to any discussion taking place on that item.  A list of county councillors who are also district, borough, city, parish or town councillors.  Councillor Leadbetter stated he would be declaring a personal interest under item 6.

Minutes of the meeting held on 11 January 2024.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 11 January 2024  be signed as a correct record.

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

There were no items requiring urgent attention.

Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity, which reviews progress against the overarching priorities identified in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Devon 2020-2025.

The Board noted the Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity on the performance for the Board, which monitored the priorities identified in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Devon 2020-25.

The Report monitored the four Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-25 priorities, and included breakdowns by local authority, district and trends over time. These priorities areas included:

·          Create opportunities for all

·          Healthy safe, strong and sustainable communities

·          Focus on mental health

·          Maintain good health for all

The latest Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Report was available on the Devon Health and Wellbeing website. 

Thirteen indicators had been updated since the last report to the Board as detailed in the report and as presented to the Board.

The Board were asked to consider if they wished to look at any area in more detail which could be updated on at a future meeting. Discussion included:

-       The GCSE Attainment (Free School Meals), 2022/23 indicated a decrease from the previous reporting year and if this was as a result of Covid. 

-       A large number of children were being home educated following the pandemic and if this could be explored further and reported back.

-       Concern at the increase in drug related deaths, not just in Devon, but nationally and the Director of Public Health would report on this to the next meeting.

-       The Chief Medical Officer agreed to share with the Board a paper going to the ICB on suicide and self-harm.

Further updates on issues discussed would be provided to the next Board meeting.

Update report from NHS Devon, attached.

The Board noted the update from NHS Devon which provided Devon-wide and national developments within the NHS. It was intended to provide the Board with summary information to ensure Members were kept abreast of important developments.  The paper provided updates to the Board on the following:

-       New CEO to NHS in Devon

-       Dementia Strategy Update

-       Women’s Health Update

-       Dentistry

-       Vaccinations

Discussion points included:

·         Dentistry: the timeframe for the dental van was currently being worked on and the Board would be kept updated on this; that more funding was being put into prevention; and epidemiology surveys of children would be expanded to older people in care homes.

Report of the Deputy Director, Adult Commissioning & Health, attached.

(Councillor Leadbetter declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of a family member receiving respite care.)

The Board received the Update Report of the Head of Integrated Adult Social Care Commissioning (Interim) on the Better Care Fund, covering latest performance.

The Better Care Fund (BCF) was the mandatory policy to facilitate integration between Health and Social Care, providing a framework for joint planning and commissioning.  The BCF brought together ring-fenced budgets from NHS allocations, ring-fenced BCF grants from Government, the Disabled Facilities Grant and voluntary contributions from local government budgets, including the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund.  This Health and Wellbeing Board had oversight of the BCF and was accountable for its delivery.

The Report provided an update on the BCF performance and spend for 2023/24.  The final performance (outturn) for the 2023/24 year would be reported to the Board at the next meeting.

Discussion points and questions included:

·         There was a good provision of general residential care homes, but more specialist provision was needed, although not a current concern.  New care homes were being built across the County but not for the social care market.

·         The importance of Discharge to Normal Place of Residence and the commissioning of specific short-term beds to meet this need.

Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity (CX/24/07), attached.

The Board received the Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity (CX/24/07), which provided an update on climate and health input into the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

The Report stated that the UK government was required under the Climate Change Act 2008 to monitor progress on adaptation. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had carried out a ‘Climate change and public health indicators: scoping review’ in September 2023, working with local authority stakeholders from public health, emergency planning, and adaptation officers to inform the review.

The Report requested the Board’s agreement that the first full iteration of a climate change Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) was paused whilst the UKHSA developed a national set of indicators.

The Board agreed the Report recommendation that:

(a)  the first full iteration of a climate change JSNA is paused whilst the UKHSA develops a national set of indicators; and

(b)  in the interim a first outline JSNA is formed around those indicators where data available that could be used, or the indicator is currently in use, that directly inform policy within the Council.

The item would come back to a future meeting of the Board.

Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities & Prosperity, attached.

The Board received the Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity on Sexual and Reproductive Health – Health Needs Assessment, December 2023 and accompanying presentation.

The purpose of the Report was to inform the Board of local sexual and reproductive health indicators from existing national and local data sources; and local insights from key populations and service users. 

The key issues and findings included in the health needs assessment would shape the work of local sexual and reproductive health partners with the aim of improving outcomes of the local population in Devon, reducing inequalities and inform commissioning intentions for 2023-25.

Discussion points included:

·         The NHS were responsible for IVF where numbers were increasing and an update report would be requested from the NHS on this.

·         There was engagement with those leading on the Family Hubs

The Chair thanked the presenters for the informative report.

Report of the Chief Medical Officer, NHS Devon on the Refreshed Devon Joint Forward Plan, attached.

The Board received the Report of the Chief Medical Officer of NHS Devon on the Refreshed Devon Joint Forward Plan (JFP) which had been considered by the Board at its January meeting.  

The JFP for Devon was published in July 2023 and was due to be refreshed for April 2024. Integrated Care Boards and their partner trusts were required to publish a JFP before the start of each financial year, setting out how they intended to exercise their functions in the next five years.

A refreshed JFP had been circulated to the Board and approved, subject to formal endorsement at this meeting.  This is a link to the most up-to-date Joint Forward Plan 2024 Draft.

The Board endorsed the Joint Forward Plan and was assured that it took account of the current health and wellbeing strategy for Devon.

Annual Health Protection Assurance Report for the Health and Wellbeing Boards of Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Councils 2022-23, attached.

The Board received the Health Protection Committee Annual Assurance Report 2022-23, which provided a summary of the assurance functions of the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Protection Committee and reviewed performance for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 for the Health and Wellbeing Boards of Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Councils.

The report considered the following key domains of health protection:

-       Communicable disease control and environmental hazards

-       Immunisation and screening

-       Health care associated infections and antimicrobial resistance

-       Emergency planning and response

The aim of the Health Protection Committee was to provide assurance to the local Health and Wellbeing Boards that adequate arrangements were in place for prevention, surveillance, planning and response to communicable disease and environmental hazards, to protect the public’s health.

The Annual Report included progress on the Work Programme Priorities for 2022-23 and set out ongoing Work Programme priorities.

Points of particular note were that screening and immunisation programmes had returned to a ‘business as usual’ footing; and the success of the Covid-19 vaccination and immunisation programme.

Members’ questions and discussion points included:

·         Preventative measures.

·         Officers would clarify If there was a cut-off point for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening for men aged over 65 and likewise for Shingles vaccinations.

·         The NHS health check was a commissioned service not taken up by all GPs and often conducted by the voluntary sector.

The Board were happy to note the Health Protection Committee Annual Report 2022-23.

Quarter 3 report, plus two published reports on Emergency Departments in Devon and Pharmacy Services.

The Board received a presentation from Healthwatch Devon on the following three reports from Healthwatch Devon:

·      Quarterly Impact Report (Q3: October-December 2023)

·      Feedback Report: Emergency Departments in Devon

·      Patient Experiences of Pharmacy Services

Healthwatch Devon work for next year would focus on the five priorities listed below.  

·         Digital health

·         Social care – access

·         Children and young people’s voices

·         Equitable access to health services

·         Mental health access

Questions and discussion points included:

-       Work already undertaken had focussed on adult carers, but as a priority for next year links could be made with young carers to identify key areas of concern.

-       Invitation to link with Devon’s Children’s Services to raise profile.

-       Low feedback on Pharmacy – were working closely with Healthwatch Assist Network and other core groups to help increase levels of public engagement;  and opportunity to send out more widely with Devon County Council’s corporate communications

Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity, attached.

The Board noted the Report of the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity, which set out the response to the NHS England regarding the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) contribution to the implementation of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Report stated that NHS England undertook an annual survey of Health and Wellbeing Boards regarding the contribution of ICBs to the implementation of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy to gauge how effectively the ICB had contributed to strategy ambitions.  The response on behalf of the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board was made in March 2024, as set out in the report.

Future meeting dates are included in the Council’s Meetings Calendar.

Next meeting:  18 July 2024

Future meeting dates of the Board could be found on the Council’s website -

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Next meeting – 18 July 2024