Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Public Health

The Board noted that the Health and Social Care Act 2012 stated that “the director of public health for a local authority must prepare an annual report on the health of the people in the area of the local authority”.

Members noted that Health and Wellbeing Boards had established a number of priority health issues that, although not unique to the City and Hackney, were

responsible for more than their fair share of our ill health. Despite relatively low rates of excess weight in adults, Hackney had among the highest childhood obesity rates in the country. 26.3 per cent of children were overweight or obese by the time they reached reception class, aged just four or five years old. Obesity was a complex issue, but talking to families and instilling the values and behaviours of a healthy lifestyle while a child was very young would make a huge difference later in life.

Smoking was a huge challenge in both areas. In Hackney the number of people who smoke was 25 per cent higher than the national average and in some of the communities in the borough almost half of men smoke. As a result the area had among the highest rates of death from lung cancer and heart disease in London. In the City a large proportion of the workers coming into the area smoke and helping them to quit was a top priority.

The new responsibilities as a public health team meant protecting mental health and wellbeing as much as physical health. The mental health needs of a population as diverse as the City and Hackney were extremely complex and it required a joined-up approach to providing information, advice, services and treatment. Supporting residents who were at risk from stress, depression and anxiety and supporting those who were not coping was one of our most important priorities. The elderly residents, particularly those who were living with dementia, had specific needs. Enabling them to have a good quality of life and supporting their families and carers was a key element of our work in the City and Hackney.

As the City was a dense urban area located at the centre of London’s transport network, it suffered from very poor air quality. Particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels are both high. Some areas of Hackney faced the same problems. As a result, residents were at risk from conditions such as COPD and asthma, particularly those who were vulnerable such as the very old or very young.