The Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public and Population Health met for their system leadership meeting on Friday, 15th November. The key messages from the meeting are below along with items of good news and gratitude.
- Applied Research Collaborative (ARC) North West (NW) – Professor Ben Barr joined the Directors to discuss the bid for funding for the ARC NW from 2026-31. A range of priorities for the ARC proposal were discussed. These include healthy places, actions on child and family poverty, decision support/modelling tools and extending the data-into-action approach. The Directors were supportive of these themes and a draft proposal will be shared in due course. Closer alignment will also be explored between the ARC and the current Cheshire and Merseyside public health research hub.
- Regional update from NHS England North West – Dr Gunjit Bandesha, Director of Health Care Public Health, updated the Directors on the work of the public health team within NHS North West, advising on prevention and reducing health inequalities.
- Population health update – Professor Ian Ashworth, Director of Population Health at the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, gave an update on the new health and housing partnership, the All Together Fairer Board that met last week and a recent population health partnership meeting.
- Suicide prevention – Ruth du Plessis, Lead Director of Public Health for Suicide Prevention, shared recent data with the Directors which sadly shows an increase in suicide across the North West and North East. The North West unfortunately has the highest rate. Ruth shared some of the actions being taken, which include raising awareness of the issue with key groups and advocating for greater resources.
- UK Health Security Agency update – The Directors were updated on increases in flu, with some outbreaks, as the Winter approaches and cases of Norovirus are still high. A recent UKHSA stakeholder event saw 60 delegates work through roles and responsibilities and scenarios to ensure resilience and preparedness.
Good news and gratitude:
The Directors shared items of good news and gratitude:
- Wirral Council has won an Outstanding Commissioner award at the VSNW Funding & Commissioning Awards and Wirral’s Qualitative Insight Team have been shortlisted for two of the 2024 LARIA Research Impact Awards.
- A recent national presentation of the child and family poverty report was given by lead Director of Public Health, Dave Bradburn and Eustace de Sousa to DHSC, organised by OHID. The report was well received.
- Cheshire East Council will be shortly advertising for a new Director of Public Health, following Matt Tyrer’s departure.
- Sefton Council have appointed Cath Taylor to lead on health protection and will shortly be advertising for a new post to work on children’s and women’s health.
- Sir Michael Marmot visited Liverpool City Council recently to learn more about their approach to tackling health inequalities.
- Cheshire East Council’s “Green Spaces for Wellbeing” project has won an award for the best health initiative from Green Flag.
- Knowsley Council’s healthy schools programme, which now has 30 primary schools signed up, was covered by the Today programme and BBC Radio Merseyside.
- Kath O’Dwyer, Chief Executive of St Helens Council has been appointed spokesperson for leadership and learning at Solace.
- Professor Matt Ashton spoke at the recent Health Foundation/King’s Fund webinar on public health and population health leadership, covering Cheshire and Merseyside’s unique model for reducing inequalities and improving population health.
