The Senior Intelligence and Analysis Officer delivered a presentation based on the Report on the Global Burden of Disease Study Data which was produced to support the BHR Transformation Boards in their commissioning decisions.
The Board noted that the conditions with the highest rates of years lived with disability were lower back pain, headache disorders and depressive disorders, all conditions which could be prevented or managed well through early intervention. Members discussed the role employers should play in caring for their employees by giving them advice and training on preventative measures they could take in the work place to avoid injury or harm to their health. Many causes of back-pain related disability, for example, concerned people who had manual labour jobs and were not advised of the correct way to carryout tasks. Employers should also have a wider role in supporting their employees to lead healthier lifestyles by providing advice around healthy eating and stopping smoking. The Chair stated that the Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Aspiration had been working on setting up a new forum for businesses which could make important contributions in that regard. The Chair would feed this back to the Cabinet Member.
Members discussed the low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption in the borough and the role this played in ill health, for example, obesity related illnesses. The Board agreed that ongoing transformation work should factor this into commissioning future services.