Minutes:
1. Mrs Crouch (Consultant for Public Health) provided a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Baton of Hope visited Kent on the week commencing 22nd September 2025 as part of the ongoing suicide prevention and anti-stigma campaign. Events took place across Maidstone, Canterbury, and Margate, concluding with an evening event at Dreamland. The Suicide Prevention Strategy remained open for public consultation until 6 October. Mrs Crouch expressed her thanks to Miss Morton (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) and all those who participated in supporting the baton holders.
(b) The NHS winter flu vaccination programme opened for children and pregnant women, with full roll-out due to start in October 2025. The campaign had two phases:
· Encouraging pregnant women to vaccinate for flu, RSV, and whooping cough.
· Promoting flu vaccination uptake among those with long-term conditions.
Kent also participated in national pandemic preparedness exercises under Exercise Pegasus.
(c) Public Health continued to work closely with Adult Social Care to advance prevention initiatives, helping Kent residents live well and independently for as long as possible. This approach aimed to prevent, reduce, and delay social care needs in line with Council priorities. The approved framework was supported by a delivery plan built around five core components, including actions on employment and housing aligned with the Marmot Coastal Region programme. Efforts were focused on developing a small set of accelerator schemes with local partners to demonstrate how KCC could help residents access quality jobs.
(d) Work was underway to implement actions following the population needs review. A new sexual health clinic in Dover was supported to address service gaps and inequalities. Gonorrhoea and Monkeypox (Mpox) vaccinations were rolled out opportunistically in clinics, with data collection in progress to assess impact. Strategic projects included work on ChemSec and evaluation of the online STI testing service, with outcomes to follow.
(e) Healthy weight stigma training had been launched to enable staff to hold inclusive conversations confidently. A new booklet was also developed to raise awareness of available services and support residents in maintaining a healthy weight.
(f) A new place-based infant feeding service was due to start mobilisation in October. Further details on aspects of the public health transformation programme were due to be provided by Vicki Tovey in agenda item 11.
(g) A health needs assessment for secondary-aged children was nearing completion. Focus groups were held with young people to understand attitudes and behaviours around vaping. This helped inform how the disposable vape ban had impacted youth vaping and the measures needed to reduce use among young people in Kent. The work also supported Trading Standards in reducing underage sales of vape products.
(h) Early years nutrition training had been launched, with strong engagement from settings and noticeable improvements in practice. Overall, significant progress was underway with many positive developments reported.
2. Further to questions and comments from Members the discussion included the following:
(a) A query was raised on whether there would be concerted efforts to debunk false information around vaccines, particularly for pregnant women. It was noted that the issue had been debated at Full County Council. Vaccination was highlighted as one of the most important and cost-effective public health interventions. Declining immunisation rates represented a serious public health risk. Public Health continued to act on barriers to access and counter misinformation where identified, with the aim of improving coverage rates to protect all residents, especially vulnerable populations