Agenda and minutes

Councillor Mulherin welcomed all present to the meeting. The Chair reiterated the position as a result of the 2015/16 in-year government funding cuts to the Public Health budget and detailed the recent changes to Public Health funding implemented by Central Government which would represent a 10% funding reduction in real terms over the next two financial years. This additional meeting would allow the Board the opportunity to discuss the issue and its impact on the delivery of public health services in Leeds in order to promote one approach across the service areas.

The Board would receive two presentations concurrently in relation to the “Leeds Let's Get Active” scheme (minute 48 refers) and "Future Cuts to Local Authority Public Health Spending" (minute 49 refers)in order to facilitate one discussion on the broad theme of future public health funding and priorities.

Finally Councillor Mulherin expressed her thanks to colleagues on the Board for their response to the in-year government cuts to Public Health funding in 2015/16 and for the subsequent work undertaken to minimise the impact of the spending cuts on service users.

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting)

There were no appeals against the refusal of inspection of documents

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2   To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3   If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:-

No items containing exempt information were included within the agenda

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes)

There were no late items of business.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

No declarations of disclosable interests were made.

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Coupar and Yeadon and from Jason Broch (North Leeds CCG); Linn Phipps and Tanya Matilainen from Healthwatch Leeds; Phil Corrigan (Leeds West CCG) and Moira Dumma (NHS England).

The Chair welcomed Heather O'Donnell as a representative of the Third Sector, Jill Copeland from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Brian Hughes as a representative of NHS England.

To consider the report of the Director of Public Health seeking the Boards consideration of short term funding solutions to enable the Leeds Let’s Get Active Scheme to continue and allow further evaluation of the project on health outcomes

Further to minute 34 of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting held 30th September 2015, the Director of Public Health submitted a report as the basis for discussions on funding options for the short term continuation of the Leeds Let’s Get Active scheme and seeking agreement for continuation of funding.

Mark Allman, LCC Sport and Active Lifestyles, presented the report and outlined the success of the scheme as it continued to grow. He stated that 350,000 visits had now been made overall with nearly half of those being people previously declaring as being inactive.

Steve Zwolinsky of Leeds Beckett University referred to the quantitative and qualitative evidence produced so far through evaluation of the scheme. Data analysed could enable assessment of behaviours and service provision and allow for resources to be targeted appropriately to local services and/or communities most in need.

In conclusion, officers highlighted that funding for Leeds Let’s Get Active would cease at the end of March 2016 with no source of funding as yet identified to allow continuation beyond the end of April 2016. Closing the scheme in March would require an exit strategy to be implemented from the end of January 2016.

The report sought the Board's consideration of funding sources to allow the continuation of the Leeds Let’s Get Active (LLGA) scheme for the full research period commissioned by Public Health to be evaluated and reported upon, and the Board noted the preferred option of the continuation of the scheme at least until March 2017.

The Board discussed the following matters:

-  Whether a precise cost analysis of the benefits of the scheme had been undertaken. The response that an interim report was anticipated in summer 2016 was noted. Additionally, it was reported that funding had been secured until 2018 for a PHD student to assess the wider economic benefits of the LLGA scheme

(Matt Ward withdrew from the meeting for a short while at this point)

-  That LLGA was an innovative scheme commissioned by Public Health to tackle health inequalities in Leeds when public health functions transferred to the Local Authority

-  Prioritisation for the future would be a challenge, and LLGA was a project that provided data to help inform strategic investment. Detail on the impact of the possible withdrawal of the scheme was required. The response that it was difficult to quantify the impact of withdrawal or amendment of the scheme was noted - different users of the scheme with differing health needs would present different outcomes in either eventuality

-  Recognised the difficulty in expressing support for this scheme without full knowledge of the Public Health budget for 2016/17 and the National Health Service and Leeds CCGs budgets

-  The suggestion that the LLGA scheme be funded until the summer 2016 to allow further evaluation of the impact of the project on health outcomes within the context of overall budget provision was discussed. It was noted that in the present circumstances, this would require the HWB partners to commit to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To consider the report of the Director of Public Health which provides details of the public health grant cuts faced by Leeds and seeking the Boards consideration of how best to minimise the negative impact of the cuts

The Director of Public Health submitted a report providing an update on the recent government announcement to cut Local Authority public health funding from 2016/17 onwards. The report noted how the government Spending Review and Autumn announcement on 25^th November 2015 would lead to significant reductions in the public health grant received by Leeds City Council.

Dr Ian Cameron, Director of Public Health, presented the report and stated that specific details of Leeds' funding were anticipated by the end of January 2016. Present indications suggested that there be a recurrent reduction of £3.9m from 2016/17 followed by a further £1.1m reduction in 2017/18. This would result in a £5m reduction (10%) by the end of 2017/18 and would be followed by smaller reductions in subsequent years.

In context, in June 2015, a £200m in-year cut to the 2015/16 national Public Health budget had been announced and, following a summer consultation, the Department of Health announced on 4^th November 2015 that the cut for Leeds would be £2,818,328 (out of a budget of £45.5m).

The presentation included outline commissioning figures for Public Health spending for the 2015/16 financial year.

The report outlined the need for a two year plan to encompass both the £3.9m reduction in 2016/17 and the £5m reduction in 2017/18.

The report set out how, in determining where public health savings could be made, key criteria would be achievability. Other criteria that could inform the decision making process were identified as being likely impacts (on the health & wellbeing of the population, on organisations – directly or indirectly, on demand for services), scale of impact, priorities within the new Health & Well Being Strategy, health inequalities, the burden of conditions, evidence of effectiveness, fairness, mandatory requirements, value for money, wider benefits (e.g. social value), contractual obligations and links to other priorities.

Additionally the report highlighted where there were also opportunities for developing stronger links with other commissioners including the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS England. The Director of Public Health had already given a commitment to the three CCGS in Leeds to work together on future public health services commissioning.

During discussions, the following issues were raised:

-  The challenge presented in balancing implementation of service amendments required by the reduced funding from Central Government against the Government's stated priority of prevention services.

-  Recognition for the collaborative working with Board colleagues which had ensured the continued delivery of most services threatened by the in-year cut to local authority Public Health funding. In order to meet the £2.8m in-year cut, planned activities dealing with issues such as oral health, campaigns on cancer awareness, mental health and winter warmth had not taken place. Public Health involvement in emergency planning for the city had also been hit and the department had put a stop on recruitment. A share of PH funding to Leeds Community Health had been withdrawn and the Board noted that HWB partners had supported LCH to continue service delivery. The Board noted that the in-year cut  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

The Chair took the opportunity to highlight the final wave of consultation on the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy and encouraged partners to share the document with service users and patients in order to promote further public engagement.

To note the date of the next meeting as Wednesday 20^th January 2016 at 10.00 am

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday 20^th January 2016 at 10:00 am