Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Health and Adults which outlined the community wellbeing model in general practice.

 

The Board was advised that The English Review ’Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ had brought together the best available global evidence on health inequalities. That evidence highlighted that health inequalities arose from social inequalities in the conditions in which people were born, grew, lived, worked and their age. The review highlighted that action to address health inequalities would require action across all the social determinants of health by central and local government, the NHS, the third and private sectors and community groups.

 

The Board was further advised that the report presented a new way of operating general practice in the Borough and the proposal was to look beyond disease management and that the new model would pursue health and wellbeing.  It was reported that being healthy was feeling good and functioning well and if a person was not ill, it didn’t necessarily mean that they were healthy.

 

The Board received a presentation from Mr Mark Swift, Managing Director of the Well-Being Project and Mr Dave Sweeney, Operational Director of Integration which:-

 

·       Gave an explanation of Well-Being and highlighted the benefits;

 

·       Outlined the results of research regarding well-being;

 

·       Set out the role, function and fundamental principles of the Community Wellbeing Practice;

 

·       highlighted that the well-being practice promoted, protected and supported xxx;

 

·       set out the Wellbeing Practice Model; and

 

·       detailed where more information could be obtained.

 

The following points arose from the discussion:-

 

·       Clarity was sought on how individuals would be encouraged to take better care of themselves and how the project would be rolled out to the 17 practices.  In response, it was reported that officers had been employed to engage with the community and deliver the message.  Existing resources in surgeries etc would also be utilised to ensure that hard to reach groups in the working population were engaged in the process.  It was also reported, that it was anticipated that at the end of 2/3 years fifteen of the seventeen practices would have been engaged in the project.

 

·       It was noted that engaging the community was vital to the success of the project.  It was also noted that a lot of individuals in the community, under the current economic climate were already stressed and required a significant amount of support and resources and it would be a challenge to motivate them in order to enable them to engage in the project;

 

·       It was noted that many people wanted to make a difference and health and wellbeing involved everyone.  It was also noted that it was the first time such an approach had been taken;

 

·       It was agreed that information on the seven practices taking part in the project would be circulated to all Members of the Board;

 

·       The importance of the project having stability and an exit strategy was noted;

 

·        It was noted that people in the community would be equipped with skills / knowledge that would help them through difficult times.  It was also noted that funding would be available for the project;

 

·       It was suggested that the Board receive a regular update report on progress that was being made;

 

·       It was highlighted that through the Commissioning Group, GPs had committed a considerable amount of their time to enable the project to succeed and that evidence suggested that a happy patient resulted in a happier GP and Practice etc.  It was noted that in the short term it would increase a GPs workload, but in the long term it would result in there being less work for the GP; and

 

·       It was suggested that the Board should be the Reference Group.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)        the presentation and comments raised be noted;

 

(2)      Mr Swift and Mr Sweeney be thanked for their informative presentation; and

 

(3)      The Board receive regular update reports on the progress of the Community Wellbeing Practice Model.