Issue - meetings

Kath Cobain reported that health protection sought to prevent and reduce harm in communicable disease and minimise the impact of environmental hazards. The HPG aimed to give reassurance to the HWB that multi-agency arrangements were in place to protect the public. Different organisations were responsible for different areas, but the County Council had a statutory responsibility to ensure that each duty was carried out. Overall there had been a robust performance in protecting the Worcestershire population but there had been some fragmentation in the system so it was important to prioritise working together.

There were a number of areas for improvement

·       The uptake of screening programmes were around the national average, which meant that for bowel screening 40% of eligible people do not participate in screening and there had been a decrease in the levels of breast and cervical cancer screening

·       Some vaccinations uptake were reducing to nearer the national level and the flu vaccinations needed to be encouraged in the social care workforce and those under 65 who were at risk

·       Poor air quality

·       Some public ring fenced grant money would be used to help Trading Standards with proactive tobacco enforcement

·       Equitable health care for the prison population, and

·       Work now needed to be embedded following the TB services review, oral health needs assessment and UTI avoidance work.

Board Members agreed that the County Council and the Health and Care Trust should do more to highlight flu vaccinations. Social Care workers were entitled to free vaccinations at GPs or pharmacies with their work identification.

RESOLVED that the Health and Well-being Board

a)     Noted the work of the Health Protection Group during 2017/18,

b)    Agreed that organisations should prioritise working together to resolve the issues highlighted; and

c)     Support the specific priority and partnership work of the HPG in increasing flu immunisation uptake, particularly the Health and Social Care workforce.