The Champs Directors met on Friday 13 September for their system leadership meeting. The key messages from the meeting are below, along with items of good news and gratitude.
- Cheshire and Merseyside in-patient detox pilot
Gary Rickwood from Wirral Council has been working with colleagues on a collaborative commissioning pilot for in-patient detox. A report was shared with DsPH that summarises the key outcomes from the 8-week pilot project. The pilot has seen positive outcomes for both services users and commissioners, with more providers offering a larger range of options to service users. Waiting times have also been reduced.
The pilot has been shortlisted for a Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) award under the “Collaborative Commissioning” category. The Directors congratulated Gary and the team.
- The role of school nurses in safeguarding
Directors received a presentation from OHID on the role of school nurses in safeguarding. The presentation covered the Working Together Guidance 2023 multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, particularly Child in Need (Section 17). OHID will continue to work with local 0-19 services as well as the wider system.
- Cheshire and Merseyside Child and Family Poverty Report
Following the release of the Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M) child and family poverty report and its wide media coverage, the Directors are now looking at next steps to help achieve their ambition of no child living in poverty. This is a whole system approach. Dave Bradburn, DPH lead, updated that the report will now be presented to system leaders in the NHS and local government, further work on the data will be completed and local places will take forward the local actions in the framework.
- Screening and immunisations
Tricia Spedding gave an update on the three NHS screening programmes. There has been a successful pilot for cervical screening using the Living Well bus. There were 200 screening tests performed during the pilot which covered Sefton and there are plans to roll out the service to other areas. New breast screening workers have also been appointed across C&M to implement improvement strategies at place and to link with local leads. Age extension has been progressing in line with national policy for bowel cancer screening with 50 to 52 year olds being invited by the end of March. A “call for a kit” clinic, operated by Liverpool University Hospital, was also held in Liverpool over the summer and an initial report is being prepared.
- Population Health
Julie Kelly shared that a joint overview and scrutiny committee meeting on 13th September received an updated around the All Together Fairer programme. The CVD prevention group is being reformed and will meet next month and Zoe McIntosh is the CVD prevention manager for Cheshire and Merseyside. The population health academy ran a successful session on 12 September on health inequalities data.
- UKHSA update
Mpox continues to be an enhanced incident and guidance is being updated. Border health and returning care worker schemes are now in place with work continuing around guidance for land and sea ports. An update of the green book is still awaited along with the final Mpox strategy. UKHSA will move to their new case management system from 23rd September 2024.
- Kind to your mind presentation
A presentation was given on the new Kind to your mind website and forthcoming campaign to help people find the right support for their mental wellbeing. The website is due to launch on World Mental Health Day on 10th October and local areas, the NHS, particularly the mental health trusts, will be encouraged to support the campaign.
- Good news and gratitude
- Matt Ashton appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss healthy advertising policy being adopted in areas across Cheshire and Merseyside.
- Esther Hindley (Principal Public Health Programme Officer at Knowsley) has been shortlisted for an individual national Public Health award under the category of ‘Collaborative Working’ by UK Public Health Register for her work on ‘Creating Health Promoting Environments Through Outdoor Advertising’.
- Ruth du Plessis expressed her thanks to the Champs Support Team for their organisation of the World Suicide Prevention Day webinar on 10th September. The DsPH thanked Ruth for expertly chairing the webinar.
- Rory McGill from Sefton has been nominated for “Inspirational leader of the year” at Liverpool City Region’s LGBT+ awards 2024 for his ongoing advocacy for health inequalities in the LGBT+ community.
- Dave Bradburn expressed his thanks to all involved in collating the child and family poverty report and media statement which has been very well received with coverage on the BBC, ITV and regional radio. Thanks were particularly expressed to Ryan McKernan for the support provided to those who took part in the media interviews.
- Finally, the DsPH wished Matt Tyrer farewell and good luck as he prepares to move to his new role and thanked him for his fantastic contribution to the Collaborative. Helen Bromley, DPH Cheshire West and Chester, will take on the lead roles for Health Protection and Workforce Wellbeing and Development.
