The Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M) Directors of Public Health (DsPH) currently meet fortnightly. The key messages from the 10 June meeting are as follows:
- DsPH welcome Clare Watson – The DsPH met with Clare Watson, Assistant Chief Executive of the Integrated Care Board and DsPH Chair Sarah McNulty shared a presentation about the Collaborative and the achievements of the Population Health Board. Clare is leading on a large portfolio including communications and empowerment, governance and corporate affairs, strategy and collaboration, primary care and population health. Clare is keen that the future ICS 5 year strategy is co-produced with DsPH and their teams and stated that together there is an “enormous” opportunity to improve health and wellbeing.
- Health protection update – This update, given in four parts, included a paper on the safe close down of the Integrated Contact Tracing pilot, a briefing on the recent health protection leads development session, a paper on vaccinations and health inequalities and a presentation on the developing behaviour change campaign to keep people well over Winter. There will be a follow up session on 22nd June to look specifically at Winter planning as well as a large focus on how the cost of living crisis will impact on health.
- UKHSA update – Monkeypox is still the number one priority and fortunately the case numbers seem to be decreasing. UKHSA are providing mutual aid to colleagues in London where the majority of cases are. Monkeypox is now classed as a notifiable disease and now needs to be reported to UKHSA.
- Good news and gratitude:
- The recent ‘Collaborate’ newsletter which featured the Cheshire and Merseyside Marmot report, has received the highest ever number of opens at 1500. There has also been 500 views on the Collaborative’s You Tube channel, 1000 hits on the website and 700 downloads of the All Together Fairer report. The hashtag has been used 150 times since launch.
- The DsPH congratulated Dr Sam Ghebrehewet on being awarded the ‘President’s Medal for outstanding contribution to public health’ at the recent Faculty of Public Health Awards. Professor Ian Buchan was also awarded the prestigious ‘Alwyn Smith Prize’ and Professor Calum Semple has been elected to ‘Fellowship through Distinction of the Faculty’. Congratulations to all colleagues, both in and out of Cheshire and Merseyside, who received an award.
- The DsPH congratulated Rachael Musgrave on her appointment as Director of Public Health in Wigan and wished her well in her new role.
- Huge congratulations from the DsPH to Dr Andrew Furber, Regional Director of Public Health on his OBE.