Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report sets out an update on the actions taken by the Council in response to the recommendations contained in the 21st annual report of the Director of Public Health.

The Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Karen Kime, 0161 474 3574, Karen.kime@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with an update on the actions taken by the Council in response to the recommendations contained in the 21st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health. The Executive had provided a formal response to the recommendations in March 2014 and this report set out progress against the commitments made.

The Director of Public Health was also in attendance to respond to questions. It was commented that overall progress in delivering on the response of the Executive had been good.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The delivery of cancer screening questions by Stockport Homes staff during their assessments was a welcome development. This built on the Making Every Contact Count agenda but it took time to embed this approach within service delivery, although it was noted that Stockport Homes had shown significant commitment to this agenda.

·         Efforts to promote healthy ageing were welcomed. It was commented that the promotion of physical activity/ non-sedentary activity was an important aspect of this agenda as it was the only recorded treatment for frailty. It was also commented that Stockport had significant assets that made it relatively easy for people to be physically activity, such as parks and walking/ cycling routes, but that more could be done to promote these facilities and opportunities.

·         The ‘Stockport String’ campaign was welcomed as it was a simple idea but provided a talking point.

·         It was important that as well as public sector staff using contact with the public to deliver health messages, that the public themselves took greater responsibility for their own health and care. The contrast between levels of spend on health services as compared to outcomes between the UK and other European countries such as Sweden was illustrative of the different levels of health literacy amongst the general public.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.