Agenda item

To view a presentation by the Interim Director of Public Health on the development of a public health strategy for Kent.

1.            Mr Scott-Clark presented a series of slides which set out the context of and process for establishing a public health strategy and summarised the strategy’s key components. The slides had been included in the agenda pack for the meeting. He responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:-

a)    in setting its public health strategy, the County Council would need to involve its district council partners as many public health issues would be easier to tackle at a local level.  Mr Scott-Clark agreed that local working was vital as it was locally that lifestyle changes could be delivered, eg via housing and leisure facilities;

b)    the ‘health improvement’ section of the strategy featured smoking rather than obesity, whereas the latter was of at least equal concern and should be addressed frankly.  Smokers contributed to the treatment of smoking-related illnesses via the taxes they paid on tobacco products, whereas those with a habit of overeating did not make the same contribution to the treatment of obesity-related illnesses.  Mr Scott-Clark responded that smoking was known to have the greatest impact on health, so work to minimise this would continue, with the aim of building on past successes. However, obesity was the next area to be targeted by high-profile work, with a review of the healthy weight service. An obvious issue to be addressed would be the habit of retail outlets of displaying sweets and chocolate at checkouts, although obesity was about more than just addressing a calorie-rich diet; promoting physical activity was also important; 

c)    people should take responsibility for their own health and would need to be encouraged to address their own diet and lifestyle choices.  Mr Scott-Clark supported this view and said this was a key element of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.  The message needed to be about the twin priorities of good diet and increased physical activity and their importance in addressing general health and such things as the vascular element of dementia;

d)    a speaker who served as a school governor added that some children who lived very close to their school were driven there by car rather than being allowed to walk. There was a need to encourage a change of lifestyle and attitudes, and co-working between County Council Directorates to address this was welcomed. In France, all new housing developments were built with integral cycle routes, and cycling could be promoted more in the UK;

e)    to make informed decisions to address such issues as smoking and obesity, the County Council would need to have good knowledge via reliable data. Mr Scott-Clark explained that data collection had improved in recent years and data collation was now a key role of Public Health England, with a fully-staff team there dedicated to it.  It was important to collate data from all partners – eg from the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority, whose boiler-check programme aimed to minimise incidence of  illness caused by CO2 emissions - and there was still some work to do in this area; 

f)     a view was expressed that the County Council could set an example of healthy eating by serving healthy meals to staff and Members in the County Hall restaurant; and

g)    health inequalities were a big part of the public health issues which Kent needed to address.

2.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Gibbens, thanked Members for their comments, of which he undertook to take account when approving the strategy.  He supported the comments made about working with district partners and the importance of addressing smoking.  He assured Members that health inequalities were a top priority for him and outlined his commitment to addressing this issue in his local area.

3.            RESOLVED that the presentation be noted and the outline public health strategy be welcomed and commended.