Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 14^th January 2015 having been circulated were signed as a correct record.

            The Board received a presentation from Mr James Rule, Chief Executive of the Widnes Vikings, which illustrated how the Vikings were working with the local community and schools to promote health and wellbeing. Members were shown a dvd which highlighted some of the work the Club was carrying out in the community to encourage fitness and healthy eating, involving other agencies such as Halton CCG, Halton Borough Council, schools and Halton Housing Trust and included:

·         The recent world record attempt for the most number of people exercising in a fitness video;

·         Raising the profile of prostate cancer;

·         Fit for Life programme;

·         launch of a new rugby shirt for Magic Weekend which will be held in Newcastle to raise money for the Bobby Robson Foundation; and

·         Tackling Cyber bullying.

Mr Rule advised the Board that Widnes Vikings had received recognition for its work with the community by receiving the Super League Club of 2014 award.

Members were advised that a future initiative being explored by the Club included providing health checks at the Stadium for men aged between 40-60 years.

            RESOLVED: That the presentation be noted.

            The Board considered a report of the Chief Officer,   NHS Halton CCG, which advised that, NHS England had stated their ambition for general practice services to operate at greater scale and be at the heart of a wider system of integrated out-of-hospital care.  This would require a shift of resources from acute to out-of-hospital care.  These ambitions were congruent with NHS Halton CCG’s 2 Year Operational Plan and 5 Year Strategy and also with the Better Care Fund delivery plan developed with Halton Borough Council. 

            Members’ were advised that NHS Halton CCG had submitted a formal expression of interest to undertake co-commissioning arrangements for general practice services in the borough to NHS England and was awaiting a response.  If approval was received, from 1^st April 2015, responsibility for the commissioning of general practice services in the borough would be delegated to NHS Halton CCG. It was noted that NHS Halton had worked with general practice and other partners in the borough to develop a Co-Commissioning Strategy for General Practice Services in Halton.

            In addition, it was noted that the final draft of the Strategy for General Practice Services in Halton would be presented for ratification to the NHS Halton CCG Governing Body on 5^th March 2015.  A copy of the strategy had been previously circulated to Members. It was anticipated that the strategy would impact on how general practice services, and/or out of hospital services in the borough, were commissioned and delivered.

            The Board discussed the national shortfall of GP’s and the work that was being carried out with the Royal College and locally with the Cheshire and Merseyside Local Workforce Group to address the issue.

            It was noted that a presentation entitled ‘One Halton’ would be brought to a future meeting of the Board.

            RESOLVED: That the Board note the report and accompanying documentation.

            The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which presented the progress of key performance indicators, milestones and targets relating to Health in Quarter 3 of 2014/15.  The report also set out information relating to the Annual Review of Health and Wellbeing Strategy priorities.  In 2013 the Board agreed the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2013-16 which outlined the following five key priority areas:

-               prevention and early detection of cancer;

-               improved child development;

-               reduction in the number of falls in adults;

-               reduction in harm from alcohol; and

-               prevention and early detection of mental health conditions.

           Whilst these priorities were agreed for 2013-16, the Board agreed to conduct a brief Annual Review to ensure that they were still fit for purpose.  The first review took place in April 2014 as part of a public consultation event.  The event concluded that the five priorities were still relevant and that work should continue under each of the five priority action plans. The Board were requested to consider if the five priorities continued to be fit for purpose for 2015/16.

            RESOLVED:  That

1.            Quarter 3 Priority based report be received; and

2.            the Health and Wellbeing Board priorities, as set out in the report, were      agreed to be still relevant for 2015/16.

            The Board considered a report of the Halton CCG, which sought approval on the changes to the original targeted reduction in 2015 Non-elective activity as submitted in the Halton Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan.  It was noted that one of the schemes embedded within the BCF which would have provided a significant amount of this reduction was the development of the Urgent Care Centres. However, the delays in opening the Widnes site and analysis of the initial Quarter 4 data suggested that the reduction expected in 2014/15 would not take place and non-elective activity would be similar to 2013/15. 

            It was noted that the impact of missing the target for 2015 had already been factored into the CCG budget for 2014/15, there was no impact on the 2015/16 budget.

            In addition, the Board noted a letter from NHS England which advised that the resubmitted BCF Plan had been classified as ‘Approved’.

            RESOLVED:  That the Board note the positive assurances of BCF (see Appendix 1) and approve the reduced planned reduction in non-elective activity to meet NHSE Governance and Timescales (see Appendix 2).

            The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which sought to highlight a new social marketing campaign to educate women of the harm that drinking alcohol in pregnancy could cause, in order to reduce alcohol related harm to the unborn baby.  It was reported that each year in Halton:

-               around 1600 women became pregnant;

-               of these women around 1300 (80%) were drinking before pregnancy;         and

-               of these women around 800 (60%) would give up drinking during   pregnancy

            Members were advised that current activity in Halton to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy included:

-               all pregnant women were advised of safe drinking guidelines;

-               Halton midwives and health visitors had been trained in the early    identification and support of pregnant women who misused alcohol.             This included when and how to refer to local treatment services; and

-               there was the dedicated Alcohol and Substance Misuse Liaison      Midwife who co-ordinated anti-natal care services for pregnant women     identified as misusing alcohol.

            In addition the Halton Alcohol Strategy (2014-19) identified the need to improve general awareness and understanding of safe drinking levels during pregnancy.  The Action Plan recommended developing an awareness campaign aimed at the general population to increase awareness of the danger of drinking during pregnancy.  Following baseline research, the campaign was launched at the end of February, with a big bang outdoor media approach with billboards, supermarket posters at entrances, bus sides and internals. 

            The campaign also included social media advertising and messaging using the #boozefreebump to use on all social media communications.  Further, midwives would use a new information leaflet, to provide more information to pregnant women when they book in with the midwife and at early bird and anti-natal sessions.  Posters and fliers would also be distributed to all GP surgeries and in community locations across the borough.            

            The campaign would be evaluated by further work with the targeted audiences in July 2015; this would be compared to the previous work to establish changes in attitude/behaviour.  Alongside this a sample of women would be identified at booking in stage and followed through to birth to establish attitude and behaviour change after exposure to the campaign messages.

           RESOLVED:  That the Board support the campaign aims:

-               To bring about a change in attitude and behaviour, towards drinking          alcohol in pregnancy; and

-               To reduce the risk to the unborn baby due to drinking alcohol in      pregnancy, and subsequently improve child development.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities, which sought approval for the revised Joint Working Agreement between Halton Borough Council (HBC) and NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which now incorporated the Better Care Fund for 2015/16.    During 2014, partners within Halton worked collaboratively, within the national guidance and framework to develop Halton’s Better Care Fund.  It was agreed that the Better Care Fund should be incorporated into the existing pooled budget arrangements between HBC and NHS Halton CCG. 

            The Board had previously approved Halton’s Better Care Fund Plan in January 2015.  It was noted that the Joint Working Agreement had now been revised to reflect the following changes:

-               the Complex Care Board was renamed the Better Care Board;

-               the Executive Commissioning Board was renamed the Better Care             Executive Commissioning Board; and

-               the budget schedule for 2015/16 had been revised to incorporate the         addition of Better Care Fund allocation for 2015/16

            resolved:  That

1.            the contents of the report be noted; and

2.                   the revised Joint Working Agreement attached to Appendix 1 be      approved.

            The Board was advised that there had been two incidents recently involving members of the public waiting over 50 minutes for an ambulance to arrive in an emergency. It was agreed that on behalf of the Board a letter would be sent to the Ambulance Service expressing concern at the recent delays in providing an ambulance in an emergency.

            On behalf of the Board, the Chairman thanked Kate Fallon for her service and wished her well for her future retirement.