Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health

As part of the comprehensive health service, as established under the National Health Services Acts, Stockport Council has responsibility for ensuring measures to improve the health of the people are undertaken. Whilst in part this is discharged by commissioning certain specific services, especially those funded by the Public Health Grant, it is also a function which requires the commitment of the whole of the Council and the collaboration of its partners to maximise the health benefit of the full range of public sector work.

The Stockport Health Promise was created in 2014/15 and sets out the breadth of commitment given by the Council and partners to improving health at this time.

This report reviews the progress towards these promises as at September 2015, with commentary provided by a range of services and partners for each of the promises, and provides Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee with an overview of the impact.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Dr Stephen Watkins, 0161 474 2436, stephen.watkins@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with a review of progress toward achieving the items within the Stockport Health Promise, created in 2014/15, that set out the breadth of commitment given by the Council and partners to improving health. The report set out progress as at September 2015, with commentary provided by a range of services and partners for each of the promises.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         In relation to questions about the efficacy of the immunisation and vaccination programmes in light of changes to the programme at a regional level, it was commented that Stockport was still performing well. There were problems with data collected in respect of the MMR combined vaccine, although the view of the Infection Control Consultant, Dr David Baxter, would probably be that the level of immunisation was nearing population level protection, and that any outbreak could be contained.

·         It was disappointing that there was little mention of mental health within the promises. In response it was acknowledged that the promises themselves were not very substantial, but that this did not reflect the work being undertaken around mental health promotion.

·         Progress on addressing illicit tobacco had been disappointing.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That Dr Baxter, Public Health Consultant, and all those involved in the flu vaccination programme be thanked for their hard work in maintaining Stockport’s high performance in vaccination levels.

(3) That the Director of Public Health be requested to provide the Scrutiny Committee with further details of the three promises where there had been no progress.