Issue - meetings

Rebecca Atchinson, Public Health

Rebecca Atchinson, Public Health, presented an update on the progress to date on the Scrutiny Review’s six recommendations.

The Review had taken place during May and June, 2014, and had identified recommendations which cut across the Council’s Directorates.  The main aims of the Review had been:-

-          To ascertain the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the Borough and the impact it has on people’s independent and quality of life

-          To establish an overview of current continence services and costs and plans for future service development

-          To identify any areas for improvement in promoting preventive measures and encouraging people to have healthy lifestyles

Progress had been challenging due to the changes in staffing within the Council over the last six months as well as technical problems with the uploading of information to the Public Health TV systems since September, 2015.  Plans were now in place to move the activity forwards particularly in the area of prevention and early support agenda.

Rebecca introduced Kristy Barnfield and Joanne Mangnall from the Community Continence Service.

Consideration was given to the Appendix which contained the Cabinet response to the recommendations.  Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/highlighted:-

·           My GP surgery never had their television on

This was really disappointing and a challenge.  As part of Public Health’s wider training attempts were being made to try and integrate the messages into the wider pieces of work that were being carried out.  A different range of ways had to be tried of encouraging both staff and the public to integrate messages that might be challenging and might not be the first thing that came to mind in their consultation with individuals.  As well as Public Health messages, there was currently a piece of work being undertaken in recognising the different types of roles there were in GP practices other than a GP to be shown on televisions in surgeries. It was a missed opportunity if practices were not turning on their screens

·           Did the incontinence card give access to a toilet that shopkeepers may have?  Was there any feedback on how successful it had been?

It was an alert card that anyone could carry but it was at the individual establishment’s discretion as to whether they honoured the message on the card.  The disabled toilet access was always by way of the Radar key scheme.  It was known from patients’ report back at clinic that there were certain shops, particularly in places like Meadowhall, that had declined patients the use of their toilets and patients were alerted in subsequent clinics sessions of areas where it might not be honoured.  If a patient had a very severe bladder problem they would be told to use the Radar key, however, the number of disabled toilets was very low.  If someone had a problem with faecal incontinence they would always be guided to use the Radar scheme because they had washing facilities

There were opportunities for the Council to provide information on all of the toileting facilities across  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94