Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Gareth Moore, Dr Bevan, Paul Haigh and Neil Roberts.

The Chairman declared that he was a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers. Mr Glyn Kyle declared that he was a Board Member of London Travel Watch.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved: That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as an accurate record.

To receive a presentation from Dr Yvonne Doyle, London Regional Director Public Health England, regarding the Better Health for London report: what are the implications for the City of London and how can it shape the work of this Board (document circulated separately).

Members welcomed Yvonne Doyle, London Regional Director for Public Health England who informed Members that the London Health Commission’s aspirations for London were:

1.     Give all London’s children a healthy, happy start to life.

2.     Get London fitter with better food, more exercise and healthier living.

3.     Make work a healthy place to be in London.

4.     Help Londoners to kick unhealthy habits.

5.     Care for the most mentally ill in London so they live longer, healthier lives

6.     Enable Londoners to do more to look after themselves.

7.     Ensure that every Londoner is able to see a GP when they need to and at a time that suits them.

8.     Create the best health and care services of any world city, throughout London and on every day.

9.     Fully engage and involve Londoners in the future health of their city.

10. Put London at the centre of the global revolution in digital health.

The report had been very well received by the London Assembly at a recent meeting with very positive comments regarding the report and its implications for London. Members were informed that in comparison to Paris and New York, London was leading the way in improving the quality of air in the City. Members agreed that this was very promising, and that more work must now be done to improve other areas such as obesity. Members noted that New York had the ability to increase tax levels on certain fast foods – an option that was not yet available in the UK. Discussions ensued regarding the importance of the provision of nutritious schools meals for children.

Members noted that Health and Wellbeing Boards in England must take a responsible and robust approach to implement the recommendations of the report. Officers agreed to action recommendation 8 regarding encouraging

Report of the Director of Public Health

Members were informed that the Ebola virus disease (EBV), previously known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, was a rare but severe disease which is caused by Ebola virus. It can result in uncontrolled bleeding, causing damage to the patient’s vital organs. The virus was initially transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission through contact with blood and body fluids.

Members noted that there had been over 4,500 confirmed deaths and over 9000 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola recorded in seven countries, although widespread transmission was confined to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. This number was doubling every three to four weeks. The UN had declared the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease [EVD] in West Africa an international public health emergency.

Officers informed Members that the overall risk to the general UK population continued to be low. The virus is only transmitted by direct contact with the blood or body fluids (such as blood, saliva or vomit) of an infected person. There were no cases identified in the UK at present so there is no risk of contracting the disease in the UK.

Officers informed Members that while the risk levels of an Ebola outbreak in England were very low the chances of contracting swine flu were slightly higher due to the disease being contracted by droplets such as sweat and spit.

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members noted that tobacco control, substance misuse and health checks were already being provided for workers at a number of diverse locations in the City, but to bring them together with other preventative services such as stress counselling,

physiotherapy, inoculations, minor injuries and sexual health services in a

single, well publicised location was an opportunity to deliver a wider range of

services more efficiently and effectively.

Resolved: That Members noted the project proposal and agreed the next steps:

1. Conduct space planning, cost assessment and a building survey

to clarify the potential of the mezzanine as a workplace health

centre and to enable a viability appraisal to be undertaken.

2. Take the proposal to the next stage (report to Gateway 3/4 –

Options Appraisal) including consideration of the proposal

alongside a commercial redevelopment option.

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

Members noted that an Air Quality Strategy in 2011 and the strategy, approved by the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee in March 2011, expired in 2015.

A draft air quality strategy for 2015 through to 2020 had been produced and was appended to this report. It contained 59 actions grouped into 10 key policy areas for improving air quality and reducing the impact of air pollution on public health. Members agreed that the World Health Organisation levels should be included in all graphs and charts in the consultation to allow comparisons to be drawn.

Members informed Officers that the Policy had started prior to the Health and Wellbeing Board’s existence and therefore required revision to ensure the Board was properly referenced and that the Director of Public Health was included in all relevant consultations.

Resolved:That Members approved the draft air quality strategy for consultation until 31 January 2105.

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Servcies.

Members noted that the Dementia Strategy responded locally to the Prime Minister’s ‘Dementia Challenge’ by establishing a City-specific approach to caring for our residents whilst tapping into the rich diversity of our community. The aim of the strategy was to provide a responsive, high quality, personalised dementia service meeting the needs of residents of the City of London.

It was underpinned by 10 strategic objectives which form the basis of our Action

Plan:

· Improve public and professional awareness of dementia and reduce

stigma

· Improve early diagnosis and treatment of dementia

· Increase access to a range of flexible day, home based and residential

respite options

· Develop services that support people to maximise their independence

· Improve the skills and competencies of the workforce

· Improved access to support and advice following diagnosis for people

with dementia and their carers

· Reduce avoidable hospital and care home admissions and decrease

hospital length of stay

· Improve the quality of dementia care in care homes and hospitals

· Improve end of life care for people with dementia

· Ensure that services meet the needs of people from vulnerable groups.

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members noted the overview of key updates on the below subjects:

Local updates

· Royal Society of Public Health Award

· London Healthy Workplace Charter

· Reading Well Books on Prescription

· Thames Strategy

· Environmental enhancement strategies

· JSNA City Supplement: Communication and dissemination plan.

Policy updates

· Public health

· Health and social care services

· Voluntary sector

· Obesity and physical activity

· Mental health

· Dementia

· Children and young people

· Older people.

Members raised concerns regarding a recent increase in the number of people suffering from dementia being targeted by scams. Officers agreed that the number was cases had risen recently and that the Adult Safeguarding Sub Committee would be investigating this at their subsequent meetings.

Report of the Chair of Healthwatch.

Members noted that on 15 October Healthwatch City of London partnered with the City of London Social Care team to run an event for the Notice the Signs campaign – designed to encourage City residents and organisations to work together to keep children and adults safe. There were 30 attendees who met together for an informal afternoon discussions on noticing the potential signs of safeguarding issues. Attendees were able to spend time with social workers from both the children’s and adults’ team and were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns following the presentations and case studies presented.

The incoming Chair Glyn Kyle was introduced to Members. Glyn Kyle would be replacing Sam Mauger as the representative for Healthwatch City of London at the Health and Wellbeing board meetings. Members placed on record their gratitude to Sam for all of her work both at Board meetings and development days and thanked her for all of her input.

Members noted that Healthwatch City of London had been in discussions with Barts Health NHS Trust to assist in communicating their work on the centralised appointments system for all outpatient bookings across their hospital sites and services. This was expected to take around four to six months to implement fully and we will keep residents updated on the progress of this in future newsletters.

Director of the Built Environment.

Members noted that the report considered the adoption of a policy to enable the safe management of footpaths and the street environment in a proportionate

manner.

The comments received from Members following a recent report relating

to “A” boards indicated that the issues being experienced on the City’s

streets were wider than just “A” boards. One of the issues was around the

management of dealing with a variety of different items placed on the

highway, including inappropriately parked cycles, newspaper and leaflet

stalls and tables and chairs as well as “A” boards.

The Assistant Director of Street Scene and Strategy advised that comments received from Members following a recent report indicated the issues being experienced on the City’s streets were wider than just ‘A’ Boards, which was agreed with by Members of this Committee. Members noted that small businesses required better signage in their area to advertise their location to customers, which would prevent the need for them to deploy ‘A’ Boards on the walkway at their entrance.

In relation to the City of London Footway Guidance, a Member noted that the requirement for a minimum of 2 metres of unobstructed width was still too narrow for busy City streets. The Assistant Director of Street Scene and Strategy advised that this distance was a requirement for the narrowest point but the Guidance note could be reviewed.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved: That the minutes were agreed as an accurate record.

Report of the Commissioning and Performance Manager (Public Health).

Members received the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.