Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from G. Binning, V. McFarlane-Reid, C. Wardlaw, Councillors P. Ezhilchelvan and G. Renner-Thompson.

Minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on Thursday, 14 December 2023 as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair. 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 14 December 2023, as circulated, be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting;

a.    Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

b.    Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

c.    Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

d.    Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

e.    Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter

Peter Standfield declared an interest in agenda item no. 4 as he was Chief Executive of Abbeyfield Northumbria, a not-for-profit Registered Provider of Social Housing.  As no decisions were being made in this item, it was not necessary for him to leave the meeting.

To receive a report providing an overview of how Housing and Planning can contribute towards the tackling of inequalities in Northumberland and contribute towards Healthy Neighbourhoods.  The report seeks support, suggestions, and an ongoing involvement of the Board to work together to further healthy approaches to Housing and Planning.  The report will be presented by Rob Murfin, Director of Housing and Planning, and Anne Lawson, Public Health Manager.

Members received a report providing an overview of how Housing and Planning can contribute towards the tackling of inequalities in Northumberland and contribute towards Healthy Neighbourhoods.  The report sought support, suggestions, and an ongoing involvement of the Board to work together to further healthy approaches to Housing and Planning.  The report was presented by Rob Murfin, Director of Housing and Planning, and Anne Lawson, Public Health Manager.

The following key points were raised in the presentation:-

•       Members were asked to consider the following questions:-

•       How can the member organisations of the Health and Wellbeing Board input to the development of a Housing Strategy prioritising healthy outcomes for our residents?

•       HIAs are required in certain circumstances under new local plan.  Should the HWB received Full HIAs to assure and further refine the process?

•       What more can we do to become exemplary in the development and delivery of good quality housing within Northumberland?

•       Housing and Planning as Building Blocks of a Good Life – The following priorities had been identified as part of the Health Neighbourhoods category of the Building Blocks of a Healthy Life Theme in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy Review refresh.

•       Priority 1 – Supporting Healthy Neighbourhoods through Planning

•       Priority 2 – Blyth Deep Dive Housing and Healthy Housing Hub

•       Priority 3 – Hirst Housing Masterplan Phase One Implementation

•       Priority 4 – Available, Affordable Quality Housing

•       11 Healthy Homes Principles (2023) from the Town and Country Planning Association were listed including liveable space, access to amenities and transport and safety from crime.

•       The National Design Guide (2021) listed ten characteristics of well-designed places.

•       The Place Standard Tool was used to understand residents’ views of housing at 212 localities across the county.

•       Healthy Housing as a Building Block for Health - The next steps

•       Retaining a focus; warm homes and fuel poverty, keeping people in own homes for longer, climate change and low carbon initiatives.

•       Affordable Housing - NCC would aim to be an exemplar as biggest social landlord in county; drive up quality of housing and support tenants with healthy living initiatives.

•       Housing and Health Conference – including social landlords, private landlords, housing developers and elected members.

•       Delivering additional homes for Northumberland – opportunity to be an exemplar in healthy homes, work with other social landlords and commercial developers to ensure new schemes centred around healthy homes; homes supplied in right locations to meet local need.

•       Health and Housing Forum – establish forum to report to Health & Wellbeing Board

•       Structure of NCC Housing Service – review to include new strategic function to lead on health strategies within housing.

•       Healthy Planning as a Building Block for Health – next steps including Health Impact Assessments, early engagement with developers, public health involvement throughout the planning application process, supporting infrastructure.

The following comments were made:-

•       The Police were keen to become more integrated and aligned with Northumberland County Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

To provide an update on multiagency activity to develop a Health Protection Assurance and Development Partnership in Northumberland.  The report will be presented by Jon Lawler, Public Health Consultant.

To provide an update on multiagency activity to develop a Health Protection Assurance and Development Partnership in Northumberland.  The report was presented by Jon Lawler, Public Health Consultant.

A number of key points were raised including:-

•       Health Protection was a core element of public health, to protect health of individuals and communities by

•       Preventing or reducing harm caused to people by communicable disease.

•       Minimising the health impact of environmental hazards

•       A system wide approach

•       Key agencies and partners including NCC public protection/public health and civil contingencies, UKHSA, NHS providers and Primary Care, NHS Commissioners

•       Key settings – healthcare settings, care homes, educational settings, prisons

•       Inequalities related to infectious diseases and environmental hazards.

•       Socio economic disadvantage and lower vaccination uptake

•       Higher incidence of hepatitis B and C in drug users and those with contact with criminal justice system

•       Poor air quality

•       Higher rates of sexually transmitted infections in some groups

•       Lower vaccination uptake in some inclusion groups

•       The Director of Public Health had key role in protecting health of population through planning and response.

•       The proposed Health Assurance Protection Board and Development Partnership built on the work of the multi-agency Health Protection Board established during the Covid-19 pandemic.

•       The new Board would be a strategic partnership would support the Director of Public Health’s oversight and assurance role, provide a link between the Health & Wellbeing Board and partners, exchange, scrutinise and analyse information, strengthen local arrangements.

•       The added value of the Partnership would overcome limitations of available data, explore and share information, understand and reduce health impact of inequalities in Northumberland.

•       The scope of the Board would be

•       Prevention and control of communicable diseases

•       Health and social care associated infections in community settings.

•       Emergency preparedness, resilience and response.

•       Environmental hazards

•       Immunisation

•       Cancer and non-cancer screening.

•       The Board membership would include key partners and hold bi-monthly themed meetings.

•       Provide strategic oversight of local health protection arrangements and identify good practice and areas for improvement.  Liaise with operational partners to identify and oversee development.  Provide core membership if a multiagency health protection group was required and produce an annual report which could be presented to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Members welcomed the report and made the following comments:-

•       It was suggested that the role of unpaid and family carers should also be considered and woven into this work.  Some learning from the pandemic had shown that it was important to note the knock-on effect if they were not kept healthy and well.  They were sometimes not seen as part of the system.

•       The available data could look OK on a superficial level and appear that everything was going well on a Northumberland level, but that may not be the case when looked at in more detail.  For example, looking at what might cause the drop off in numbers having the second MMR immunisation.

•       Northumberland County Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

To receive a report regarding two pharmacy closures in Blyth and the reduction in opening hours of the 100 hour pharmacy in Blyth.  The Board is asked to consider if there are still sufficient pharmacies open in Blyth to meet the needs of the population for collection of prescriptions, advice from pharmacists and other services provided by community pharmacies.  The report will be presented by Pam Lee, Public Health Consultant, and Anne Everden, Pharmacy Consultant to Public Health.

Members received a report regarding two pharmacy closures in Blyth and the reduction in opening hours of the 100-hour pharmacy in Blyth.  The Board was asked to consider if there were still sufficient pharmacies open in Blyth to meet the needs of the population for collection of prescriptions, advice from pharmacists and other services provided by community pharmacies.  The report was presented by Anne Everden, Pharmacy Consultant to Public Health.

Members were informed that two pharmacies in Blyth had closed in the last three months and the 100-hour pharmacy had reduced its hours.  The two pharmacies were located in Newsham which had high levels of multiple deprivation, poor infrastructure, a large elderly population and some poor housing including for people new to the area.  Services and issues in the Blyth/Newsham area were outlined in detail in the report.  Two pharmacies had indicated that they could cope with more business, however, the closures displaced 20,000 prescriptions per month, and this was a lot to take up.  Many of the local population could not easily access pharmacies in the centre of Blyth.  There was also a significant loss of capacity to provide other services such as seasonal flu vaccinations, supervised opiate consumption and blood pressure monitoring.

It was recommended that a statement be issued to the effect that there was a gap in pharmacy services in Blyth.  A task and finish group had been set up by the Health & Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the options for the provision of pharmacy services in the Newsham area.

It was noted that there would be work with the ICB to try and make it attractive to other potential providers.

The following comments were made:-

•       It was queried whether there was enough information available to make a decision, as there was no comparative data from other areas with similar issues such as an older population and deprivation.  It was explained that this information was available within the main Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and this was just a supplement to that document.

•       The ICB was working collaboratively with Northumberland County Council to take forward the findings and recommendations from the Board and PNA and how to work together to identify opportunities for service provision going forward.  There were multinational companies who were consolidating and supermarkets reducing hours, national contract changes etc. and all of these issues added up. 

•       It was an opportunity to understand at a local level what to do for patients, such as those with end-of-life care needs where services had been lost, and mental health care patients etc.   There would be an impact on these patients’ care and needs.  There was an opportunity for more discussion about impact of the pharmacy closures.

•       The figures presented showed that there was enough work for another pharmacy but the demographic of Newsham did not need another pharmacy in Blyth town centre.  It would be more useful to be located within an area of multiple deprivation.  If the area  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

To note/discuss details of forthcoming agenda items at future meetings; the latest version is enclosed.

Members noted details of forthcoming agenda items at future meetings.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 8 February 2024, at 10.00 a.m. at County Hall, Morpeth. 

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 8 February 2024, at 10.00 am in County Hall, Morpeth.