Issue - meetings

Cllr Keith Humphries, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Protection Services, introduced a report providing an overview of the Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA) Programme and a programme update on needs assessment.

Cllr Humphries took the opportunity to inform the meeting of the documents underpinning the strategy rather than talk them through the report which was very comprehensive and self-explanatory.

Documents underpinning the JSA included:

·         The Community Areas JSAs;

·         The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Health and Wellbeing;

·         JSA by the Police;

·         JSA for the new Clinical Commissioning Groups.

He explained that Wiltshire Council had received national recognition for its work on the JSA from the Faculty of Public Health. Another accolade was the fact that the Army had decided use Wiltshire Council’s JSA as a model.

Maggie Rae, Corporate Director for Public Health and Public Protection, explained that the aim was to deliver increased benefits and improvements to Wiltshire residents. She explained that the data that would be gathered from the census in the coming year would help clarify needs for education, housing, etc. One aspect she would like to focus on was integrating economic analysis in the JSA.

In response to comments made and questions asked the following was clarified:

·         The steady increase projected for inpatient admissions for Wiltshire patients with a primary diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and with a primary diagnosis of cancer (page 85 of the agenda refers) were due to factors such as increases in obesity, alcohol and smoking health issues and the fact that skin cancer was the fastest increasing form of cancer;

·         Failing to meet the target reduction of 50% for under-18 conception rate should be considered in parallel with the fact that Wiltshire already had one of the lowest rate in the country, following campaigns in the 70s and 80s;

·         It would take time to eradicate cases of childhood obesity as this was a problem everywhere at variable levels;

·         The figures shown on page 85 of the agenda were purely for Wiltshire (not Swindon), these figures took into consideration every aspect of projections including an increase in population; 

·         Issues related to drugs and alcohol abuse should be kept as a priority. Considerable progress had been made, especially through the Neighbourhood Policing Teams, as the Police would document any drug offense rather than let the more “benign” offenses slip. An alcohol and drug programme was in place which included immediate action on treatment following report from the Police, there also was a similar programme for Juniors (under 18).

Cllr John Noeken spoke about the Amesbury Area Board Neighbourhood Task Group initiative. This task group had been created following the Amesbury Area Board JSA where drugs and alcohol had been identified as an issue.

It was established that the JSA would become even more important when the Health and Social Care Bill was passed as this would mean that the Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board would have to ensure the strategies and plans (evidence based on the JSA) were delivered.

Resolved:

That Cabinet note the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47