Agenda item

Presented by Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health

Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health, presented the Health and Wellbeing Board’s annual report with the aid of the following presentation:-

Context

-        Life expectancy at birth for both men and women in Rotherham continued to be significantly lower than the England average (77.1 years vs 78.9 years for men and 80.2 years vs 82.8 years for women)

-        The difference in healthy life expectancy at birth was particularly stark with a 7.4 year gap for Rotherham women compared with the national average (2018-2020) (56.5 years vs 63.9 years) and a 4.4 year gap for men (58.7 years vs 63.1 years)

-        On the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 Rotherham ranked as the 35^th most deprived upper tier local authority in England out of a total of 151 authorities

-        The key drivers of deprivation in Rotherham remained Health and Disability, Education and Skills and Employment (as were in 2015)

-        Of 45,800 residents (aged 16-64) who were economically inactive, 35.2% were due to long term sickness compared to 27.2% nationally

Achieving the conditions for a healthy life continues to be a concern

-        The estimated number of alcohol dependent in Rotherham was higher than the national average.  In 2021/22 there were 619 per 100,000 admission episodes for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) significantly worse than the national average of 494 per 100,000

-        Approximately 14% of Rotherham adults (around 29,600 people) were smokers in 2022 compared to 12.7 nationally

-        In 2021/22 71.9% of adults in Rotherham were classified overweight or obese compared to 66.5% regionally and 63.8% nationally.  Child obesity rates were also higher than national average – in 2022/23 22.2% of reception age children were overweight or obese compared to 21.3% nationally and 41.1% of Year 6 children were overweight or obese compared to 36.6% nationally

Mental Health and Welling were also a concern

-        In Primary Care in Rotherham 2022/23 the recorded prevalence of depression (aged 18+) was 17.3% a total of 36,892 persons.  This was higher than the England value of 13.2% and had been increasing in Rotherham since 2013/14

-        Data from 2018/19 showed 12% of Rotherham residents reported a long term mental health problem which was significantly higher than the England value of 9.9%

Environmental Factors impacting Health in Rotherham included

-        Particulate pollution – in 2022 the percentage of mortality attributable to particular pollution for Rotherham was 5.2% (England 5.8%)

-        Lower than average use of the natural environment – 69% of residents in Rotherham indicated they used the natural environment for health and exercise purposes compared to 82% for England (2017)

Delivery the Strategy

Aim 1:  All children get the best start in life and go on to achieve their full potential

-        An independent travel training (ITT) offer had been created to support children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities

-        A new post-14 specialist campus opened in September 2023 providing 50 school places.  This meant more children and young people could access high quality educational provision in the local area

-        Rotherham’s Family Hubs and Best Start in Life – the Council received £3.4M in Government funding to help deliver Family Hubs and the Best Start in Life programme locally

-        Winter Healthy Holdings 2023 – the Holiday Activity and Food Programme for children aged 2-11 years eligible for free school meals and other supports

Aim 2:  All Rotherham people enjoy the best possible mental  health and wellbeing and have a good quality of life

-        Strategic communications to promote better mental health and suicide prevention social media messages promoting Rotherhive and Five Ways to Wellbeing were scheduled at least once every 4 weeks as part of the Council’s overall communications plan

-        A renewed strategic approach to physical activity through the Moving Rotherham Partnership focussing on active champions, active environments, active communities and active communications.  £100,000 secured to support additional community activities in Rotherham schools

-        Suicide and self-harm awareness training delivered to practitioners across the partnership and members of the public

-        A new diagnostic centre opened at Badsley Moor Lane providing an out-patient respiratory and sleep physiology service

Aim 3:  All Rotherham people live well for longer

-        Increased funding has allowed the expansion of tobacco control measures including the establishment of a Local Enhanced Stop Smoking Service

-        The Council, in collaboration with partners, ensure that support was in place for carers

-        A local Drug and Alcohol Related Death review process was established

-        A Changing Places facility had been installed in the gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse designed specifically to help disabled visitors and individuals with complex care needs

-        Voluntary Action Rotherham facilitated the development of a Rotherham Recovery Community to deliver local recovery activities

Aim 4:  All Rotherham people live in healthy, safe and resilient communities

-        Tackling Community Safety – the Safer Rotherham Partnership was the Borough’s Community Safety Partnership based around 4 key priorities: protecting vulnerable children and adults, building safer and stronger communities, protecting people from violence and tackling organised crime

-        Rotherham marked Holocaust Memorial Day by holding an event on 25^th January 2024

-        Championing events supporting equality and inclusion.  Throughout 2023 the Council and local partner organisations had actively informed and involved local residents including under-represented groups in opportunities for participation

Looking Ahead

The Health and Wellbeing Board over the next year will:

-        Undertake a refresh of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy to launch from April 2025

-        Continue to work with Board sponsors to monitor delivery of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy

-        Continue to develop our relationships within the new South Yorkshire Integrated Care System and ensure each of our aims was aligned with the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Strategy

-        Continue to focus on reducing health inequalities between our most and least deprived communities

-        Influence other bodies and stakeholders including those with a role in addressing the wider determinants of health to embed health equity in all policies

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-        Currently 9 young people had taken part in the Independent Travel Training.  It was a long process to support the young people to travel independently and for their parents to feel confident.  The programme would continue to be built upon

-        There was no proposal to have a similar service to the Tobacco Control Service for vaping 

-        Tobacco is a serious problem in Rotherham, but vaping is less serious

-        It would be useful to have information on the effect vaping had on health

Resolved:-  That the achievements made across the four Strategy Aims in the past year be noted.