The Health and Wellbeing Board of Newcastle upon Tyne Council met on Thursday, 20 June 2024, to discuss various topics, including feedback from Healthwatch North Tyneside, progress updates on the Equally Well strategy, and issues related to oral health and dental access recovery.

Healthwatch North Tyneside

The Board received a presentation titled What People Have Told Us 2023/24 from Healthwatch North Tyneside, summarising feedback from over 2,500 residents and 99 community outreach events. Key points included:

• High quality of care and treatment is valued when received.
• Positive feedback on staff care and support.
• Concerns about access to GP and dental care.
• Acceptance of delays in care as a new norm.
• Waiting times for various types of care, including GP appointments, mental health support, and emergency care, are significant concerns.
• Importance of user choice in service interaction methods (online, phone, face-to-face).
• Barriers to care include digital access, transport, and costs.

The Board discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service access and noted the need for a dashboard to capture this information. There were also queries about children's mental health services and digital accessibility issues.

Equally Well Progress Update - The Places and Communities We Live In and With

The Board reviewed a progress update on the theme The Places and Communities We Live In and With from the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Equally Well: A healthier, fairer future for North Tyneside 2021-25 . Key actions included:

• Enhancing physical environments and green spaces in deprived areas.
• Implementing recommendations from the Health Impact Assessment on the Housing Strategy.
• Improving private rented housing in Wallsend.
• Expanding the Safe and Healthy Homes initiative.
• Delivering 187 affordable homes.
• Focusing on communities experiencing anti-social behaviour and crime.
• Developing masterplans to improve infrastructure and create jobs.
• Committing to becoming an age-friendly borough.

Presentations by Steve Bishop and Cheryl Gavin highlighted the role of culture and health in creating conditions for arts, creativity, and culture to be embedded in public health. The Board noted the importance of creative health and its integration into the health and social care system.

Equally Well Progress Update - Our Lifestyles and Healthy Behaviours Across The Life Course

The Board received a report on the progress of the Our Lifestyles and Healthy Behaviours Across The Life Course theme from the Equally Well strategy. Highlights included:

• Focus on tobacco, alcohol, healthy weight, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease.
• Introduction of the GAP (Gateway Access Plus) Team aimed at supporting people with complex needs.
• Case studies demonstrating the impact of GAP interventions.

Concerns about illicit alcohol and tobacco were raised, with discussions on the Council's powers to close premises and revoke licenses where illicit products are found.

Oral Health and Dental Access Recovery in North Tyneside

The Board received an update on dental access recovery and oral health. Local priorities identified included:

• Severe tooth decay and tooth extraction rates in children and young people.
• Oral cancer incidence and mortality rates.
• Primary care dentistry capacity.
• Unmet needs of older adults.

The presentation outlined immediate actions, strategic approaches, and the development of an oral health strategy. A public consultation on water fluoridation in the North East was also mentioned.

The Board thanked Anya Paradis for her contributions and wished her well in her new role.

For more details, you can refer to the minutes and the public reports pack.