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  • Agenda item
  • Agenda item

    Verbal updates by Cabinet Member and Director

    Minutes:

    1)    Mrs Clair Bell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said that she would resuming visits to the services and would be attending the Health and Wellbeing Awards in Ashford the following week. She highlighted that the Suicide Prevention Team had recently won an award at the National Mental Health Awards.

     

    It was said that the recent Joint Kent and Medway Health and Wellbeing Board meeting was used as a session to introduce the issues facing Kent and Medway in light of Covid-19 and looked at how other authorities had dealt with these issues. The Joint Board looked to resolve those issues through taking on the broadest view of its purpose - to overcome health inequalities - in an established plan.

     

    Mrs Bell highlighted the success of a programme which raised awareness among 16-24 years olds of sexual health services using social media platforms. It was also said that the ’10 Minutes Shake Up’ physical activity summer programme had attracted interest with over 4000 views – a 1300% increase from the previous year. The Council had also promoted the ‘Stoptober' campaign which provided support services for smokers who wanted to quit. This was considered an important research-backed campaign, particularly as nationwide smoking rates had increased since the first Covid-19 lockdown.

     

    Members were told that a consultation had been conducted in early August on community mental health services, including Live Well Kent and the Release the Pressure Programme. This was intended to improve service delivery of personal outcomes ahead of the end of the contract with the strategic providers in March 2023.

     

    Mrs Bell said that residents had been reminded of local support services, including Every Mind Matters, in connection with World Mental Health Day. It was said that the pandemic had a negative impact on mental health and many people did not know what to do to improve their mental wellbeing. Every Mind Matters, found at the link below, provided residents with a personalised action plan to better deal with stress and anxiety -  https://www.kent.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/health/one-you-kent/every-mind-matters. This included the free 24/7 mental health text service through which a trained volunteer could provide support to an individual in need.

     

    Public Health had set up temporary stall at Bluewater Shopping Centre. They had supplied 200-300 Release the Pressure promotional cards and had 35 in-depth conversations with people who shared their concerns. Posters regarding the Release the Pressure service were to be on display in Bluewater Shopping Centre toilet facilities for a few weeks to reach further people.

     

    In response to questions from Members it was said that:

    ·         The national text service had a large capacity as volunteers were recruited based on demand. Volunteers were home based so there was a quick turnaround. There were also volunteers based in New Zealand to provide around the clock support.

    ·         The combination of different platforms was designed to reach individuals from various backgrounds. There was data to suggest that the services were reaching a broad demographic.

    ·         Sexual health service advertising could be expanded to additional social media sites, such as dating apps, to reach a wider audience.

     

    2)    Dr Allison Duggal, Interim Director of Public Health, said that the Covid-19 rates were rising and stood at 267 per 100 000 of the Kent population. Cases were predominantly in 10–14-year-olds due to a number of breakouts in schools. There was also a rise in cases in 40–50-year-olds that was still being investigated. 12–15-year-olds were being vaccinated at school and flu vaccinations had been encouraged for all age groups.

     

    Dr Duggal said that the service was looking at post-pandemic mental and physical wellbeing strategies. There were two new organisations that the service had been working with. Furthermore, two new staff members had been appointed to work on the whole systems obesity offer and on migrant health services around Napier Barracks and across partnerships.

     

    Members were told that Public Health was looking to capitalise on work done with some of the local communities, such as the Romany community in East Kent. This had included behavioural insight work to inform health improvement plans.

     

    In response to questions from Members it was said that:

    ·         A letter would be drafted to Mr Bartlett raising Member concerns around access to General Practitioner (GP) services in East Kent and GP surgeries still insisting on telephone consultations.

    ·         There were great strides being made with social prescribing. This could be discussed in further detail outside of the meeting.

    ·         Covid-19 in Kent was predominantly the Delta variant. There were no concerns about other variants at the time of the meeting. It was expected that Covid-19 self-testing kits would be charged for in the future, however, the costs would vary according to several factors. This was not expected to affect outbreak situations. The mixed results of lateral flow tests were being investigated by Health Security Agency.

    ·         People placed in Napier Barracks had already undergone isolation. There had been outbreaks of Covid-19 at the facility, however, these had been addressed.

    ·         The Kent Resilience Forum was looking into the protests held by ‘anti-vaxxers’ outside of school gates. A coordinated response was being used and work was being undertaken with the Kent Police, schools and the County Council.