The Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M) Directors of Public Health (DsPH) currently meet fortnightly. The key messages from the 13th May meeting are as follows:
- Regional Director of Public Health (RDPH)/Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)– DsPH were joined by Dr Andrew Furber and colleagues from OHID to give an overview of new structures and current priorities. Overarching priorities for the RDPH include strong collaboration with local systems, professional leadership and NHS leadership. Andrew will continue to join the DsPH at their system leadership meetings to ensure close working. For the Cheshire & Merseyside system, Charlotte Simpson will lead on health care public health and Michelle Whittaker will lead on health and wellbeing.
- Children and Young People’s Transformation Board (Beyond) – Melisa Campbell updated the DsPH on the Beyond programme and its achievements so far. The Board is one of the Health & Care Partnership programmes and is chaired by Kath O’Dwyer, CEO of St Helens Council. The Board has four key priorities, Learning Disabilities, Respiratory conditions, Childhood Obesity and Mental Health and Wellbeing. Another two priorities, Diabetes and Epilepsy are in plan for 22/23. DsPH welcomed the overview and thanked Melisa and the other workstream leads for their leadership role.
- Inpatient Detox – DsPH were presented with a paper on the OHID funding for inpatient detox which will run until 2024/25. DsPH endorsed the paper and agreed to collaboratively commission this service in Cheshire and Merseyside. They thanked Gary Rickwood, Lucia Scally and colleagues for their work so far.
- UKHSA update – Covid cases are reducing resulting in less enquiries, however there has been a rise in Paediatric Hepatitis, Chickenpox and iGAS. The weekend of 14/15 May is the last weekend that the Cheshire and Merseyside Contact Tracing Hub will be staffed. Following this, all enquiries will be dealt with by the on call staff in the health protection team.
- Good news and gratitude:
- Huge gratitude goes to Julie Webster DPH in Wirral who announced she will retire in September this year.
- Many congratulations to Ifeoma Onyia who has been officially appointed DPH in Halton.
- The Marmot event in Cheshire and Merseyside has over 600 delegates registered, showing the huge interest in this programme. You book your place here
- The King’s Fund is working with C&M DsPH on their 5 year vision as a public health system. At a kick off meeting this week, the King’s Fund were complimentary about the C&M system and model of working.
- Thanks were given to all partners involved in the recent “Operation Deva Flame” practice fire in Chester.
- Warrington also had a similar practice incident with Cheshire Police, thanks to everyone who took part.