Communities, Housing and Environment committee

08/12/2015

Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?

Yes

 

Public Health Improvement service for adults consultation

 

Final Decision-Maker

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

Lead Head of Service

John Littlemore

Lead Officer and Report Author

Michael Mckeen

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

 

1.   That the Committee endorses the consultation response set out in Appendix C.

 

 

This report relates to the following corporate priorities:

Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

8th December 2015



Public Health improvement service for adults consultation

 

 

1.        PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

1.1     Kent County Council is consulting on their public health commissioning proposal for Kent adult’s health improvement.

 

1.2     The consultation closes on the 14th December and the Committee is invited to consider comments received by the Housing and Communities Manager. 

 

 

2.        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     Public Health currently commission services that focus on individual behaviours and encouraging positive lifestyle changes such as; increased physical activity, healthier eating, and smoking cessation. Many of these services are universal and open to anyone who needs them whilst others are only accessible through referral from your GP or other health professional. These include: Healthy weight services, Stop smoking services, Health checks, Health trainers, Maintaining mental wellbeing and physical activity services.

 

2.2     These services currently work independently from each other; a model which has been delivered for several years. Public Health now has the opportunity to move towards a more integrated service following the NHS 5 year forward view, which has highlighted the need for increased prevention to achieve health outcomes for the public.  

 

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

 

3.1     Option 1, Leave services as they are, and simply re-commission

Advantages:

·                This would allow for continuity of service

        Disadvantages:

·                Would continue to treat individual conditions rather than the whole person

·                Would not address referral and access gaps present in the existing model

·                Would not promote efficiencies

3.2   Option 2, develop an integrated model but restrict access to high risk groups only

       Advantages:

·                Similar structural and outcome advantages to the model being proposed with the additional benefit of ensuring targeted use of resources.

Disadvantages
 

·                Would mean there is no Universal offer of support 

·                Could leave those currently engaged with services without support

·            Presents commissioning challenges with existing providers

3.3. Option 3, preferred option, an integrated model open to the public as a   
       whole:

       
       Advantages:

·                Provides a consistent point of access for people to get the support they need

·                Treat the person rather than a single issue. 

·                Allows for efficiency of contract delivery, allowing extra resource to be released to supporting people.

 Disadvantages:

·                Potential loss of specific expertise.

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

 The proposed model would take a holistic approach to each person that   
 comes into the service. This means that the service would support the
 individual to address a range factors that might be affecting their lifestyle
 choices and barriers faced by them in changing their unhealthy behaviours.

 

 The approach looks beyond individual behaviours, seeking to improve the  
 overall health and wellbeing of the person. It would save the individual
 needing to visit a range of different services, as it is integrated, rather than
 individual services for a particular condition e.g. smoking or excess weight.

 

 It is proposed that there would be simple access and referral pathways to  
 support residents to access the most appropriate services quickly, reducing  
 the need to visit multiple services.

 

        Full background information including options can be found in Appendix A

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1  The Maidstone Health and Wellbeing board has been consulted on the Council’s response in Appendix C and were in agreement with the feedback provided.

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     The committee’s decision will be communicated to KCC as the councils formal response.

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough – Improving the health prospects of Maidstone residents and ensuring the effective use of funding to support positive health outcomes.

Head of housing and communities

Risk Management

None

Head of Service or Manager

Financial

None

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

none

Head of Service

Legal

None identified at this stage

Team leader Corporate Governance

Equality Impact Needs Assessment

Appendix B is the completed impact assessment put together by KCC

Policy & Information Manager

Environmental/Sustainable Development

none

Head of Service or Manager

Community Safety

None

Head of Service or Manager

Human Rights Act

None

Head of Service or Manager

Procurement

None

Head of Service & Section 151 Officer

Asset Management

None

Head of Service & Manager

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix A: Health Improvement service consultation

·         Appendix B: Equality impact assessment

·         Appendix C: Health improvements questionnaire (Maidstone Borough Councils recommended response)

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS