Agenda item

To consider a report of the South East Area Health and Wellbeing Partnership providing an update on activity being undertaken to better understand the issues relating to health and wellbeing of those in the south east area of the city

Council Function

  (Councillor Dobson declared personal interests in the following items due to his membership of two NHS Trusts which were likely to be involved in the work being undertaken ( minutes 66, 67 and 68 refer))

The Area Committee considered a report prepared by the South East Area Health and Wellbeing Partnership providing an update on activity being undertaken to better understand the issues relating to health and wellbeing of those in the south east area of the city

Members welcomed Bash Uppal the South East Health and Wellbeing Improvement Manager who presented the report

Together with details of the overarching priorities and those in the city priorities plan, Members were informed that tackling issues relating to alcohol was a priority and it was hoped that changes to be outlined by the Government later this year would mean that when considering licensing applications, the impact on health could be considered

  In terms of community engagement, the Citizen’s Panel would be used with a health and wellbeing questionnaire to be developed for use.  In the interim a standardised two page questionnaire had been devised for use by staff which would be put on the Council’s Talking Point

A health and wellbeing portal had been developed which Members were urged to view and provide feedback on to Bash Uppal

The Community Capacity Building Programme was outlined, the focus of which was to engage local people in health and wellbeing issues with a view to them sharing the messages wider and becoming local volunteer health champions

  Members welcomed the report and raised the following issues:

·  the membership of the organisation and whether Elected Members had a presence

·  the need to strengthen partnerships, particularly with Elected Members

·  the need to recognise the differences between communities within an Area Committee and to provide information to Members with greater specificity to their areas

·  the problems of excessive and underage drinking in the area and the role of supermarkets in this

·  older people and the importance of ensuring, particularly in cold weather, that the most vulnerable were eating properly and heating their homes sufficiently

·  the lack of a proper medical centre in Swarcliffe

·  the need for the Licensing Committee to be made aware of alcohol-related issues and how this message could be taken into communities

·  the need for greater information to be provided on what was actually being delivered, with concerns being raised that the facility in East Leeds designed as a walk-in centre, now appeared to have a three-week delay for treatment

Bash Uppal provided the following responses:

·  that Councillor James Lewis was a member of the South East Health and Wellbeing Partnership

·  that the move from PCTs to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) next spring had already seen greater involvement with local GPs, with the aim being to have regular meetings which would include GPs and Councillors to create the links and commence dialogue

that cheap alcohol was a problem and that underage drinking had to be tackled through enforcement, ie Trading Standards.  However work would be undertaken with community groups and Licensing Officers had agreed to speak to groups to advise on how to object to licensing applications, which would include observing at a sub-committee

·  in respect of excess winter deaths, the Wrap up Warm programme in Leeds which offered insulation also incorporated a benefits check, fire safety check and advice offered about Telecare, where relevant, to provide greater help to those in need

The South East Leeds Area Leader stated that with forthcoming

changes in the commissioning and delivery of health services, there was the opportunity for Members to be at the centre of the reforms and be able to form a relationship with the CCG for the benefit of the local community

  RESOLVED – To note the report, the presentation and the comments now made