The Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board met on Wednesday 11 March 2026 to discuss progress on the Health in Early Life priority, focusing on reducing infant mortality, and to review the board's structure and future plans. Key decisions included endorsing the infant mortality prevention programme, approving revised terms of reference for the board, and agreeing a forward plan for future meetings.

Health in Early Life Priority Progress Update

The board received an update on the Health in Early Life priority, with a particular focus on reducing infant mortality. Data presented showed that both Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have higher rates of infant mortality than the national average. While a recent slight decrease in infant mortality was noted as positive, caution was advised due to a lack of clear understanding of the reasons behind this reduction. Neonatal deaths, occurring within the first 28 days of life, account for 83% of infant deaths in the area.

Analysis of Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) reports identified modifiable factors contributing to infant deaths. While smoking in pregnancy remains a concern, high maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) was found to be a factor in more cases (10 deaths) than smoking in pregnancy (8 deaths). Other identified modifiable factors included unsafe sleeping environments (1 death), maternal substance misuse (3 deaths), and maternal alcohol use (2 deaths).

Progress has been made in reducing smoking at the time of delivery, with rates now similar to the national picture, although concerns remain in areas like Cannock Chase. Breastfeeding initiation rates in Staffordshire are lower than national and West Midlands averages, an area identified for attention.

A multi-agency programme, co-chaired by Stoke City Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), is underway to address infant mortality. This programme has five workstreams: preconception, antenatal, and interpregnancy health; data and intelligence; neonatal and maternity care; communication and engagement; and inequalities and wider determinants. A significant development is an impending data sharing agreement to allow for deeper analysis of causes and trends. Work is also being done with the voluntary and community sector to engage with at-risk communities and understand local drivers of behaviour. Existing programmes like Better Health Staffordshire and Everyone Health are being leveraged, with a funding bid submitted for an obesity pathway innovation programme.

The board also heard about wider challenges for children and young people, including healthy weights and emotional health and well-being, noting that these issues are interconnected and complex.

The board was asked to endorse the infant mortality prevention programme as Staffordshire's key early life strategy, recognise the wider system's efforts, acknowledge progress on key indicators, and note the five take-home messages from the report.

Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board Review: Outputs and Recommendations

The board reviewed the outputs and recommendations from a comprehensive review of its purpose and structure, which concluded in December 2025. Key recommendations from the first stage included focusing on broader, upstream population health approaches, clearly defining the board's role in these, and distinguishing its function from other partnerships. Progress has been made through a proposed terms of reference that defines the board's focus and is reflected in the proposed forward plan.

Further recommendations from the first stage included exploring methods to better include the voice of the community in decision-making, ensuring evidence-based decisions are made using intelligence, and embedding the health and wellbeing strategy across the board's membership. The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) has been updated to serve as a central repository of intelligence.

Additional recommendations from the second stage focused on improving alignment between Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent boards, reviewing the balance of leadership between the council and the ICB, and shortening board agendas. Dr Rachel Gallyot, Interim Chief Medical Officer for the ICB, has been appointed as co-chair, alongside Councillor Martin Rogerson. The board aims to develop a coalition of the willing and seek more collaborative opportunities, with expanded membership for informal board meetings.

The review also highlighted the need to develop neighbourhood-level collaborations, with the neighbourhood health strategy proposed as a focus. The importance of involving school and education leaders was also noted, along with the need to ensure meaningful engagement with members of the public, including those with lived experience.

A consensus was reached that neighbourhood health is a key topic for focus, and that more dynamic and collaborative discussions are needed through workshop-style meetings. This could be achieved through a smaller, formal board to discharge statutory responsibilities, with informal meetings involving a wider membership for discussion on key topics.

The main changes to the terms of reference include the appointment of a non-executive or clinical lead from the ICB as co-chair and the establishment of a small formal board comprising statutory members that meets in public, alongside a larger informal board with wider membership that meets in private for discussion. The forward plan, which reflects the review's recommendations and the consensus from a final workshop, was also presented.

The board was asked to approve the recommendations from the review, approve the proposed revised terms of reference, note the appointment of Dr Rachel Gallyot as co-chair, and agree the forward plan for board meetings.

Items for Information

The following items were noted for information: the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2026 and the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy - Quarterly Data Update.

The next meeting of the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board is scheduled for Tuesday 30 June 2026.