The Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M) Directors of Public Health (DsPH) met on Friday 14 October for their Executive Board meeting. The key messages from the meeting are as follows:
- The King’s Fund event – The C&M DsPH and senior leaders attended a workshop on 6th October led by The King’s Fund to look at the future public health system, including how we work with the new ICS. The next steps are being formulated and actions will be taken forward around building on the high profile of public health, focusing on priorities and workforce wellbeing/development.
- All Together Fairer update – Alan Higgins presented to the DsPH on the All Together Fairer programme covering the eight Marmot themes and seven system change recommendations. The initial priorities for the programme include healthy work, anchor institutions and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Work on the priorities is progressing well and the Beacon indicators from the All Together Fairer report will shortly be live on a new CIPHA dashboard.
- Champs Collaborative report – The mid-year report for the Collaborative was presented and each DPH talked through key achievements and future priorities in their lead area of work. Thanks were given to everyone who has contributed to Collaborative programmes from across the system.
Key highlights from the Collaborative’s report include:
- All Together Fairer – Report by Sir Michael Marmot’s team informed by nine place-based workshops launched, NHS Prevention Pledge rolled out across several C&M NHS Trusts, work on anchor institutions and cold homes paper prepared and presented to Place Directors.
- Communications and social marketing – Launch of the Winter wellbeing campaign “The Simple Things” to remind the public of key messages this Winter to reduce the spread of illness, All Together Fairer branding, media coverage and launch event for 500 delegates and sharing information via Collaborate newsletter and social media.
- Health protection –DHSC Covid-19 pilot completed and evaluated, health protection training programme with Liverpool University delivered, contingency plan developed.
- Reducing harm from alcohol – Lower my drinking app campaign launch, pilot for Community Engagement in Licensing, training for blue light services to support dependent drinkers and Fibroscan machines to detect Alcohol Related Liver Disease piloted across several NHS Trusts.
- Cancer screening – Screening co-ordinators recruited across C&M for breast and bowel cancer screening which has resulted in positive outcomes in uptake for screening.
- High blood pressure and reducing CVD – Improved access to NHS health checks to reduce CVD, Know your numbers week campaign delivered, Wellpoint Kiosks in most LA areas monitoring blood pressure and successful Happy Hearts Facebook campaign.
- ICS – Public health system is building strong partnerships across the ICS, with a lead DPH on the Board and have been invited to support the development of the new five-year ICP Strategy.
- Suicide Prevention – Development of the new C&M five-year strategy for suicide prevention, self-harm guidance for children and young people disseminated, workforce training programmes for suicide first aid delivered, self-harm and suicide bereavement support provided.
- Strategic intelligence – New early warning report for Covid developed, Marmot indicators integrated into CIPHA dashboard and further development of Population Health dashboard to include CVD, alcohol metrics and NHS Health Checks report.
- Workforce development –Enhancement of Making Every Contact Count website to incorporate social and welfare services, promotion of training opportunities and training needs analysis to inform future learning needs.
- Research and development – Establishment of a new public health research hub and network of research champions to build knowledge and identify joint research projects in C&M.
4. Collaborative risk and finance reports – The Collaborative’s mid-year finance report and risk register were reviewed by DsPH.
5. Good news and gratitude:
- A letter has been received from Health Education England expressing their thanks to Champs Collaborative for hosting the North West Practitioner programme, under the leadership and management of Lucia Scally and Martin Smith.
- The DsPH expressed their gratitude to all involved in arranging and delivering the successful ‘All Together Active’ launch event which took place on Wednesday 12 October.
- Tracy Flute (Warrington) and Melisa Campbell (Liverpool) have started the OHID funded 21st century public servant (aspiring Directors of Public Health) leadership programme organised by the University of Birmingham Leadership centre. DsPH congratulated them both.
- Welcome to Dr Susan Milner who has joined Warrington Borough Council as interim Consultant in Public Health for 6 months 3 days a week.