Minutes:
1. Dr Ghosh provided a verbal update on the following:
(a) Measles infections continued to rise nationally, particularly in London. Kent and Medway partners were working together to target areas where the uptake of vaccinations was low. To date, there had not been a confirmed case of measles in Kent.
(b) In regard to infection prevention and control, KCC Public Health had a dedicated team of two nurses who were working to reduce the risk of infection and outbreaks in various settings. These settings included care homes, refugee, and asylum seeker settings.
(c) Work was ongoing around the implementation of the Family Hubs delivery plan. The strategic emphasis was centred around the sustainability of the activity and ensuring its integration created better outcomes for families and children.
(d) The public consultation on two co-created strategies had closed on 3rd April 2024. These strategies were:
· Nurturing little hearts and minds: a perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship strategy; and
· Nourishing our next generation: a 5-year infant feeding strategy
The feedback from the consultation was being collated and final versions of the strategies were due to be presented to the Health Reform and Public Health Cabinet Committee in July for consideration.
(e) Two papers were presented to the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) South East conference in March. These papers focussed on shared learning objectives and covered the following topics:
· 'Tackling complex public health issues using combined methodologies: improving dads' perinatal experiences through systems thinking and co-production’; and
· ‘Through a mother’s eyes: Using co-discovery and co-creation to understand barriers and motivators to breastfeeding among the most deprived communities within Kent’
In association with perinatal mental health, in October 2023 KCC launched a free 24-hour text and phone line for those with low to moderate perinatal mental health needs and had also launched a number of social media campaigns earlier in the year (2024). The helpline could be accessed via text message by sending the word KENT to 85258 or via phone on 08001070160.
(f) Work was underway to deliver the Public Health Transformation Programme which sought to deliver services in a more efficient and collaborative way.
(g) In October 2023 the government published Stopping the Start: our plan to create a smoke free generation. Kent received £1.9m to deliver a nationwide comprehensive offer to increase the rate of quits and reduce the prevalence of smoking. In Kent, it was estimated that 11.6% of the adult population smoked, however, smoking rates were much higher among certain groups, particularly those in lower socio-economic and vulnerable communities, making smoking a major risk factor for health inequalities. Within Kent, the aim was to achieve 26,937 quits in the next 5 years, with 1,347 quits due to be achieved in the first year (25% increase on current performance). Dr Ghosh highlighted that the grant presented KCC with an opportunity to do things differently and to do them well.
(h) KCC Public Health had launched a survey which would help to identify the behaviours of young people in relation to vaping and aimed to compare this to national data. The information would be used to inform the targeting of clear, helpful public health messages and to support schools, key partners and agencies, along with young people and their parents, to hep reduce the take up and use of vaping. A total of 31 schools had signed up to the survey, which would generate circa 210 surveys per school, totalling 6510 surveys.
(i) Public Health continued to work alongside the Kent and Medway Partnership Trust and other stakeholders to improve the Mental Health Needs Assessment
(j) Work had also progressed amongst the districts in relation to the Healthy Alliance Model, particularly within Thanet which was linked to the community mental health transformation programme. Dr Ghosh advised that should health inequality reduce in Thanet, this would also eradicate inequality within Kent as a whole.
(k) Dr Ghosh announced the launch of the 2024/25 Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Community Fund. The fund offered grants to support mental health and wellbeing initiatives in Kent & Medway and aimed
to test innovative ideas and develop evidence of what works.
It also supported grassroots projects that continued to serve their communities. The deadline for applications was 29th April.
(l) In relation to substance misuse, a significant amount of work had taken place to plan the next phase of commissioning for the Kent Substance Misuse Services. There had also been the launch of Kent Substance Misuse Lived Experience Research Organisation (Kent ROAR).
(m)The building of Kent’s Health Alliances had progressed well with the establishment of 11 alliances amongst the 12 districts. Dr Ghosh confirmed that Swale was not included in the alliance.
(n) Work was underway to develop a prevention plan between adult social care and public health with the aim of reducing social care demand through identifying and implementing the correct interventions at the right level to ensure residents could continue to receive care closer to home.
(o) A focussed piece of work was underway regarding health improvements within the Gypsy Roma traveller community.
(p) A statutory requirement of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board included the production and publication of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. The next statement was due to be published in October 2025 and would presented to the Board in due course.
2. In relation to the additional work on substance misuse, Dr Ghosh confirmed that the findings from the independent review of drugs carried out by Dame Carol Black highlighted the challenges related to drug deaths and the need to boost levels of inpatient admissions. The Government allocated additional money to all Local Authorities with the aim of reducing demand for drugs by getting those suffering from addiction into treatment and deterring recreational drug use. Kent had also seen a rise in the number of deaths linked to synthetic opioids and work was underway to address this.
3. RESOLVED to note the verbal update.