Agenda item

Oxfordshire’s Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy had been adopted by the Shadow Health & Wellbeing Board in July 2012 following extensive consultation. The Health & Wellbeing Board had considered the latest information on the health of the population, as set out in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. The needs identified in a report to the Board in March 2013 had confirmed that the current priorities set out in the Strategy were still relevant.

Since then the Partnership Boards (ie. the Children & Young People’s Board, the Adult Health & Social Care Board and the Health Improvement Board) had considered the progress that had been made in delivering the outcomes set out in the Strategy; identified unmet need on this issue within Oxfordshire and made some recommendations on the outcomes that should be set for the year ahead.

It was now proposed that new outcomes should be set for 2013 – 14 and were the subject of consultation prior to discussion and decision at the Health & Wellbeing Board meeting on 25 July 2013. These were set out in the report (JHO8) for consideration and comment at this meeting.

The Committee commented as follow:

• It would be helpful for the national targets to be indicated in the report – and some local ones could be more ambitious, for example, target 1:1 ‘High % of women who have seen a midwife or a maternity health care professional by 13 weeks of pregnancy’ (currently 85%);

• Some of the wording is rather vague – for example, why not state a precise figure  in 1:1 rather than the word ‘high’?

• Some strengthening of statements in the text by means of an accompanying explanation is required , for example, why are persistent absence rates in primary schools lower than the national  average but in secondary schools higher than the national average? (priority 2) and what is meant by the term ‘not known’ (priority 4).

• Clarification on the reasons why there is no target for young people who go missing from care would be helpful (Priority 3)

• Some of the outcomes are too modest, for example, target 4:5 ‘Increase the proportion of pupils attending good or outstanding primary schools from 59% to 70% and the proportion attending good or outstanding  secondary schools to 75% (currently 67% primary and 74% secondary). In contrast, some are very ambitious and overly prescriptive with regard to stated numbers, such as proposed outcome 6:3  ‘No more than 400 older people per year to be permanently admitted to a care home from October 2012 (currently 546);

• The Committee expressed concern that the current measures for people with a severe mental illness receiving a health check are not part of national outcome frameworks and have been difficult to measure, and do not necessarily provide the best indicators of improved outcomes; feeling that this was a major priority (Priority 5)

• They also expressed their disappointment that the ambitious target of halting the rise in childhood obesity was not met, though the Oxfordshire rate is still lower that the national rate Priority 9);

It was AGREED to thank the Deputy Director of Public Health for her attendance and to ensure that the Committee’s comments are included within the consultation report for submission to the Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board on 25 July 2013.