Agenda and minutes

Councillor Comer-Schwartz welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were given.

Apologies for absence were received from Dr Jo Sauvage, Cate Duffy, Angela McNab, Sarah McDonnell-Davies, Mike Clowes, Siobhan Harrington and Emma Whitby.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

·         if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

·         you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

 (b)Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

 (c)Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

 (d)Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

 (e)Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

 (f)Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g)Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all voting members present at the meeting.

None.

Agenda Item B2 was deferred to a future meeting. The order of business would be B1 and then B3.

RESOLVED:

As the meeting was inquorate, the minutes of the last meeting would be deferred to the next meeting.

Jonathan O’ Sullivan, Acting Director of Public Health for Islington presented the report which set out proposals which sought to redevelop the workings of the board, with a greater thematic focus on collective problem-solving and action on health inequalities.

In the discussion the following main points were made:

·       Routine reports being circulated in advance would mean questions could be submitted prior to the meetings.

·       The Chair suggested that one of the thematic items should be related to children and young people as this was a key priority.

·       Addressing the health inequalities angle through all thematic items would be helpful.

·       Looking at themes through a geographical or community lens was suggested and the Chair suggested there could be guiding principles alongside the themes.

·       It was suggested that the health and wellbeing and mental health of children and young people aged 17-18 who were transitioning to adulthood be included to identify any gaps.

RESOLVED:

That the decisions below be agreed in principle (as the meeting was inquorate) subject to ratification at the next meeting:-

1) That the proposed rebalancing of the Board’s time towards thematic or deep dive looks into key health inequalities affecting people in the borough be agreed.

2) That there be three health inequalities themes identified each year with the Annual Public Health Report normally one of these three themes and one of the items related to Children and Young People.

3) That there be shorter time slots for routine reports received by the Board.

4) That future consideration be given to whether the proposed change in emphasis of the Board’s time indicated a change in the core membership.

RESOLVED:

That this item be deferred to a future meeting.

Jonathan O’Sullivan, Acting Director of Public Health for Islington presented the refresh of Islington’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

In the presentation the following points were made:

·         The strategy set out the strategic priorities for improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. The strategy had been developed in partnership using intelligence, insight, evidence and engagement with local communities, residents and patients to find out what would make the biggest difference and help Islington become a more equal borough.

·         The strategy was not simply about adding ‘years to life’, but also ‘life to years’ and improving quality of life as well as life expectancy.

·         The strategy recognised and gave synergy to, but did not seek to replicate other strategies and action plans on the wider determinants of health, e.g. better air quality and the environment, improving educational attainment, employment and wealth building in the borough.

·         The Health and Wellbeing Board priorities (2017-2020) were: 1) ensuring every child had the best start in life; 2) preventing and managing long term conditions to enhance both length and quality of life and reduce health inequalities; and 3) improve mental health and wellbeing.

·         Since 2011-13, life expectancy had increased in Islington for both men and women. Life expectancy at birth for men in Islington was now 79.7 years, an increase of 1.8 years since 2011. However, life expectancy for men in Islington remained lower than the London average (80.9) and was the sixth lowest amongst all London boroughs. For women in Islington, life expectancy was 83.4 years, which was lower than the London average (84.7), and was the second lowest amongst all London boroughs.Both male and female life expectancies in Islington were similar to national averages. 

·         In Islington, men and women spent on average the last 17.1 and 21.7 years of life in poor health respectively.For both men and women, there had been a much larger improvement in healthy life expectancy since 2011-13 compared to London and England. Although healthy life expectancy (HLE) for men and women remained lower in Islington, the borough was now statistically similar to London and England. For men there had been an 8.6% improvement in healthy life expectancy compared to 1.3% improvement in London and 0.3% improvement in England and for women there had been a 6.4% improvement in healthy life expectancy compared to improvement in 1% London and 0.1% improvement in England. These figures showed the work being done to improve quality of life was making a real difference.

·         Whilst some of the impacts of Covid were short term, others were long term. Impacts included: the economic and social wellbeing of residents; longer waiting lists in the NHS; later diagnosis of many conditions e.g. cancer, diabetes, risk of stroke; mental health and wellbeing impacts; the impacts on children and young people; and the particular impacts on Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups who had had a differential health, social and economic experience.

·         The changing national strategic and organisational context for health and wellbeing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.