The Health and Wellbeing Board met on Thursday 19 September 2024 to discuss the progress of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, the Suicide Prevention Plan, and the Combating Drugs Partnership. The Board also received updates on communicable diseases and noted the forward work programme.

Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy Update

Claire O’Callaghan, Health and Wellbeing Policy Manager, presented the six-monthly update on the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. She reported that most actions within the current strategy's implementation plan were either completed or on track. However, two actions were slightly delayed: the transition of the Healthier High Streets programme and the recommissioning of smoking cessation and NHS health check services. While nine indicators showed improvement, five showed an adverse movement from the baseline, including an increase in food bank beneficiaries and a decrease in the proportion of babies being breastfed.

Discussions highlighted concerns about the baseline data used for emergency admissions from ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, with suggestions that a more comparative year might be useful. The impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy figures was also noted. The Board was informed that work was underway to develop a new strategy, with a draft expected by January and formal consultation in the spring. The Board resolved to comment on and note the progress of the current implementation plan and reflect on the current progress of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy development.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Update

Dr. Deborah Jenkins, Consultant in Public Health, provided an update on the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). She explained that the Board has a statutory duty to publish and update the PNA every three years, with the last assessment being approved in 2022. Since the previous update in July 2023, there had been several changes of ownership for pharmacies, but only one significant change in opening hours at Bishop's Pharmacy in Hampstead Garden Suburb. This change was not expected to create a gap in pharmaceutical provision. An interactive map of pharmacy provision in Barnet is available on the council's website and is updated quarterly.

The Board also reviewed a proposed flowchart for responding to applications for changes to pharmaceutical provision, which would involve the Chair and Vice-Chair in the review process. Dr. Nick Dattani, Interim Borough Clinical Lead, suggested that community pharmacies could offer more in terms of opening hours, particularly on weekends, to better meet patient needs. The Board noted the changes in pharmacy provision and agreed with the suggested process for reviewing applications for changes in pharmacy provision in the borough as outlined in Appendix B.

Suicide Prevention Plan Annual Report and Work Plan

Seher Kayikci, Senior Public Health Strategist, presented the third annual report on the Barnet Suicide Prevention Strategy. The report indicated that Barnet's suicide rate remained significantly lower than the London and England averages, although there was a slight increase compared to previous reports. The strategy's action plan, developed in line with the cross-government strategy, highlighted collaborative efforts to support at-risk groups and address wider determinants of health.

During the discussion, Chris Munday, Executive Director of Children and Families, raised concerns about the lack of cross-referencing from learning reviews, particularly in relation to two cases of suicide and filicide. He emphasised the need for stronger links to multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and greater intelligence on issues such as the role of private psychiatric services. Fiona Bateman, Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board, suggested that officers attend joint meetings on child and adult learning reviews linked to suicide prevention to embed learning.

The impact of social media on mental health and suicide was a significant point of discussion, with a call for greater education for parents on identifying warning signs in children and for more accountability from social media platforms. The Board noted the report's findings, including the positive impact of the Stay Alive campaign, which was evaluated as potentially saving between 7 and 10 lives. The Board resolved to note the most recent data for Barnet, the progress on the implementation of the Barnet Suicide Prevention Strategy as outlined in Appendix A, and to feed into the forthcoming Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-30 refresh.

Combating Drugs Partnership Board Update

Louisa Songer, Senior Public Health Strategist, presented the annual update on the Combating Drugs Partnership Board (CDPB). She outlined achievements across three priority areas: breaking drug supply chains, delivering world-class treatment and recovery services, and achieving a generational shift in drug demand. Key successes included an increase in drug trafficking offences, indicating improved police response, and a decrease in possession offences, suggesting more individuals with substance misuse issues are being signposted to support.

The Board noted the continuation of the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol project, the launch of a dental service for rough sleepers, and effective harm reduction initiatives such as naloxone distribution. A significant achievement was the exponential increase in young people accessing substance misuse treatment. The report also proposed a revised structure for the CDPB to foster collaboration and further develop the three priority areas. The Board resolved to note and comment on the progress of the Combating Drugs Partnership and approve the updated structure of the CDPB outlined in section 1.6 of the report.

Communicable Diseases Update

Dr. Janet Djomba, Director of Public Health, provided a verbal update on communicable diseases. She highlighted ongoing concerns about measles and pertussis infections across London, although Barnet had not seen a significant increase in infection rates. The RSV Vaccination Programme had launched, targeting pregnant women and older adults. Multi-agency working groups have been established to improve uptake in vaccinations, particularly for flu and HPV.

A significant announcement was the award of a £230,000 grant to Barnet and Haringey to support uptake of cancer screening, particularly in communities with low uptake. Jess Baines-Holmes, Director of Integrated Commissioning for Adult Social Care, suggested incorporating learnings from the review of mortality in people with learning disabilities to understand the impact of screening gaps in this group. The Board resolved to note the verbal update.

Forward Work Programme

The Board noted the items due to be reported to future HWBB meetings. The Board resolved to note the Forward Work Programme.

Any Items the Chair Decides are Urgent

The Chair announced that Fiona Bateman's tenure as Chair of the Adult Safeguarding Board was ending, and this would be her last meeting. The Chair thanked Ms. Bateman for her significant contributions over seven years.