Agenda item

Public Health Speciality Registrar Lucy Cunningham and Public Health Consultant Tiffany Burch gave an overview of the health and wellbeing of residents in the Community Board Area. Their presentation highlighted key indicators for public health, in particular:

• Higher life expectancy for men (82.7 years) than the Buckinghamshire average (81.8)
• Lower life expectancy for women (84.6 years) than the Buckinghamshire average (85.1)
• Slightly higher low birth weight babies born (7.9%) than the Bucks average (6.8%)
• Higher overweight or obese children in year 6 (34.5%) than the Bucks average (31.1%)
• Lower levels of physical inactivity in adults (18.4%) than the Bucks average (20%)
• 45% of residents who were eligible for an NHS health check had done so

The presentation also highlighted three key recommendations to improving the health and wellbeing of residents in the Community Board Area. These included:

• Preventing Cardiovascular Disease (also a top priority of the Integrated Healthcare Partnership)
• Supporting residents to stop smoking
• Improving Mental Health/Tackling Social Isolation

Finally, the presentation suggested ways in which these recommendations could be taken on board and addressed by the Community Board:

• Fund the Active Movement Programme in schools
• Support the Grow it, Cook it, Eat it scheme
• Set up a Grow to Give scheme
• Make local parks and playgrounds smoke free
• Organise local Make Every Contact Count (MECC) training
• Fund Healthy Ageing projects
• Support schools to deliver a wellbeing service day for pupils and staff

These suggestions could be taken on board and interpreted by members of the Community Board as would best suit their areas using their local knowledge and connections.

Following questions from Members, the following points were made

Lucy confirmed that ‘physical inactivity’ for adults would constitute falling below 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. This data was taken from the health survey for England. Activities such as walking were a particularly accessible form of enjoyable exercise.

Supporting schools with initiatives such as a ‘daily mile’ or ‘walk to school’ initiative would be a good way to address the issue of overweight and obese children in Primary Schools. It was important to ensure that the children were consulted and engaged with any projects and initiatives put in place to stand any chance of being sustained. Bucks council was appointing a Participation Manager who would facilitate and develop existing networks to include youth voice representation, including possibly on Community Boards.

Tiffany did not have specific information related to the funding-split for the Integrated Care Board as this was at an NHS level and not part of the public health remit at a local level, however it was normally funded based on population numbers and an element of need. Members were encouraged to invite NHS representatives to attend a future meeting to explain further. There had been an increase in the Public Health Grant in the region of 2.8%.

Katrina would catch up with Councillor Poll following the meeting to discuss proceeding with the wildflower planting project and confirmed that it had been funded and an award letter had been sent to Wingrave and Rowsham Parish Councils.

Members thanked Lucy and Tiffany for their time and presentation. Anyone seeking further information was encouraged to contact Tiffany at tiffany.burch@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

The interactive profile plus Public Health's recommendations could be found at: https://www.healthandwellbeingbucks.org/local-profiles