The Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public Health and Population Health met on Friday 16th August for their system leadership meeting. The key messages from the meeting are below, along with items of good news and gratitude.
Reflections following tragic incident in Southport
- Margaret Jones, Director of Public Health for Sefton, reflected on the recent tragic incident in Southport and subsequent public unrest. She detailed the extraordinary and far-reaching impact that such events have on local communities and that work is only beginning to support people as they move forward. Margaret, along with Directors, expressed her gratitude to the local system for its support, as well as the range of national partners that have also offered support.
Update from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- Directors received a briefing of the emerging thinking from the newly formed government on the health priorities that will be tackled in the short and long term, to ensure that they can align local projects with national aims.
- The World Health Organisation has declared recent global MPOX outbreaks as a public health emergency, and UKHSA is closely monitoring the situation so it is ready to respond if the disease enters the UK.
- Cases of measles still continue with small rises in infections, whereas cases of whooping cough (pertussis) are decreasing but it is expected that they will rise again in the autumn.
Population Health
- NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Population Health team, led by Director of Population Health Professor Ian Ashworth, is growing in number, thanks to the arrival of two Associate Directors of Population Health as well as other colleagues
- The latest Population Health success stories and key messages will be at the September meeting of the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, which will have a special focus on this area
- Work is underway to kick-start Cheshire and Merseyside’s All Together Smokefree Programme, which will aim to support the subregion’s ambition to end smoking, everywhere, for everyone
Suicide rates in Cheshire and Merseyside
- An analysis has shown that suicide rates in the subregion are sadly increasing, and discussions are underway on how previous successes to the reduce these rates can be reinvigorated and this issue can be placed back on the agenda.
Next steps from recent Strategic Planning Day
- A recent Strategic Planning Day with the Directors of Public Health and senior leaders focused on the publication of the subregion’s situational analysis into child and family poverty. Those in attendance felt compelled to do something about the state of poverty and how this impacts children and a plan has been made to engage the system to make them aware of the report and align efforts to meet the ambition that no child in Cheshire and Merseyside lives in poverty.
Good news and gratitude
- The Collaborative’s Reducing Harm and Alcohol Programme’s project to support those with issues relating to alcohol misuse and poor mental health has been shortlisted in the Mental Health and Wellbeing category at the Royal Society of Public Health and Wellbeing Awards. The ceremony is due to take place in London on 28th November 2024.
- A number of partners and projects from across Cheshire and Merseyside have been shortlisted in the HSJ Awards, due to also take place in London on 21st November 2024.
- The Collaborative’s unique model for improving health and wellbeing has been selected by The King’s Fund as an example of best practice for publication, specifically relating to the very close alignment between the NHS and local government. The piece for will be published by the King’s Fund in the coming weeks.
- Margaret Jones, Director of Public Health for Sefton and Eustace de Sousa, an independent consultant working within the Champs Support Team, recently presented the subregion’s situational analysis into child and family poverty at the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Children and Young Peoples’ Board.
- Wirral’s Public Health team has been highlighted by the Local Government Association for their approach to using ethnographic research and partnership working to tackle fuel poverty. Read more here.
- Gratitude was expressed to Matt Ashton for his leadership in his role as chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public Health and Population Health Executive Board. Professor Helen Bromley, Director of Public Health for Cheshire West and Chester will become the new Chair in September.
