Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration introduced the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2015/16 which focussed on issues of concern and opportunities to improve the health of the local community.

The Cabinet Member advised that the concept of “preventing the preventable” was a key component of the report and the creation of the Accountable Care Organisation, in partnership with Havering and Redbridge Councils, would be the primary tool for transforming the delivery of health and Council care services in the future.  The report also reflected on the negative impact that the Government’s austerity measures continued to have on the health and social wellbeing of local people and the actions that would help to improve life expectancy rates.

In response to the question, the Director of Public Health commented that he considered the greatest achievement during 2015/16 to be the utilisation of the full Public Health Grant allocation on a range of projects that extended beyond direct health services and which helped to achieve real outcomes for local people, such as tackling domestic violence and helping individuals and families to avoid eviction from their homes. 

Cabinet Members commended the report and made a number of observations which included:

·  The importance of encouraging individuals, and particularly those from the black and minority ethnic communities, to talk to health and other professionals about their concerns early on;

·  The need to raise awareness through education and training of ways for individuals to improve their health and recognise the symptoms of illness;

·  The lower life expectancy and healthy life expectancy rates for residents of Barking and Dagenham, even in comparison with London Boroughs with similar demographics.

Cabinet resolved to approve the publication of the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2015/16, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report.