The Health and Wellbeing Board met on Wednesday 14 January 2015 to discuss various health and social care initiatives. Key discussions included findings from the Healthwatch Hackney Fund for Health project, which highlighted barriers to accessing services for vulnerable groups, and an update on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. The Board also agreed to submit the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for approval at the next meeting.

Healthwatch Hackney Fund for Health Project

The Board received an overview of the Healthwatch Hackney Fund for Health project, which awarded 23 small grants to community and voluntary organisations. These grants enabled organisations to gather data on how services could be better integrated and to identify barriers to accessing health and care services. The findings revealed significant challenges faced by various groups in Hackney. For instance, 85% of older patients from Hackney's Turkish and Kurdish communities interviewed were unaware of how to access local authority care services. Similarly, many in the Chinese community held misconceptions about the health impacts of smoking, including the concept of passive smoking. A notable proportion of deaf residents, estimated at one in three, felt their GP was not deaf aware, leading to difficulties in communication and appointment booking. Furthermore, an estimated 27% to 45% of children in Hackney experiencing mild to moderate developmental delays, mental health issues, and behavioural problems were not accessing available services.

Recurring issues identified across the projects included a lack of confidence and knowledge among individuals on how to complain or voice concerns, a general unawareness of the range of available services, and language barriers presenting a significant obstacle. The projects also highlighted that where individuals faced multiple barriers, their difficulties were disproportionately amplified. The report also noted that difficulties were exacerbated by a lack of empathy or awareness from service providers. Emma Craig, a representative from Healthwatch, questioned the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board in coordinating partner efforts to overcome these barriers, share joint principles, and establish mechanisms for good practice in commissioning and service provision. Councillor Jonathan McShane, Chair of the Board, welcomed the community-focused research but expressed concern about the inconsistent approach when individuals raised issues. He proposed addressing this by discussing the adoption of shared key principles, focusing on service access, to identify whole-system issues. Healthwatch committed to identifying and circulating a summary of the key access problems identified in its work from the previous year.

Commissioning Intentions and Whole System Investment Mapping

Devora Wolfson, Programme Director, presented a report on the commissioning priorities and intentions of NHS City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group and London Borough of Hackney (public health and adult social care). The report aimed to inform the Board about the joint work being undertaken by commissioners to map health and social care investments. Kim Wright provided an overview of Hackney's commissioning plans for Adult Social Care and Prevention for 2014-2016, while Dr. Clare Highton outlined the Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group's plans for the same period. The Board discussed the format of future presentations, with members expressing the view that the report's purpose was to provide an overview and that the ongoing work was more significant as an indicator of future joint commissioning. Devora Wolfson clarified that the initial intention was to present the priorities and intentions of the four commissioners on a smaller scale. A key issue raised during the discussion was 0-5 health, with members requesting a briefing and further exploration of this topic at a future meeting, particularly in light of the transition of these services to local authorities in October 2015.

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Update

Jayne Taylor, Consultant in Public Health, provided an update on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. Members had previously attended a workshop focusing on topics with the highest variance in scores given by different participants, the lowest mean scores (bottom ten), and the highest mean scores (top ten). There was considerable discussion surrounding the evidence presented at the workshop, with concerns raised that a more even distribution of evidence might have altered the order of the topics discussed.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Update

The consultation period for the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment concluded on 31 December. The Board agreed that the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment would be submitted to the next meeting for approval.

London Health Commission Report

The Board noted that the publication of responses to the London Health Commission Report had not yet occurred and that this item would be considered at a future meeting.

The next meeting of the Board was scheduled for 4 March 2015.