Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Ian Brookfield, Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, Marsha Foster, Becky Wilkinson and Group Commander Samantha Samuels.

Laura Brookes attended for Marsha Foster, Julie Winpenny attended for Group Commander Samantha Samuels and Madeleine Freewood attended in person for Lynsey Kelly.

Stephen Dodd attended remotely for Ian Darch.

There were no declarations of interest.

[To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.]

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of 18 January 2023 be approved as a correct record.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.]

There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

[To receive the Health and Wellbeing Together Forward Plan 2023 - 2024.]

Madeleine Freewood, Public Health Partnership and Governance Lead presented the Health and Wellbeing Together Forward Plan 2023 – 2024 and highlighted future agenda items.

Board members were invited to suggest items for presentation at future meetings by contacting either the Chair, Madeleine Freewood or Democratic Services.

Paul Tulley, Black Country ICB reported that engagement was ongoing for the ICB’s draft Joint Forward Plan however the next full Board meeting of Health and Wellbeing Together was scheduled for after the NHS submission deadline. It was therefore proposed that Board members would be contacted shortly for feedback on the ICB Joint Forward Plan.

It was suggested than an item be explored around how Health and Wellbeing Together fitted around the NHS in terms of placed-based arrangements.

Sheila Gill, Healthwatch Wolverhampton offered a reminder that the Healthwatch Annual Report was in the pipeline to be scheduled when ready.

Resolved:

That the Health and Wellbeing Together Forward Plan 2023 – 2024 be noted and requested items scheduled.

[To receive a presentation focused on the progress of the RWT Health Inequalities Steering Group.]

Dr Kate Warren, Consultant in Public Health delivered the presentation for the Health Inequalities Dashboard Deep Dive: Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Health Inequalities Steering Group Update. The presentation outlined the work and aims of the group to identify and address health inequalities and barriers to accessing healthcare within the City.

A special mention was made of the Learning Disability Nurses team and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Midwife for their work to provide support to vulnerable groups who would otherwise struggle to access the healthcare they needed.

It was highlighted that many residents, particularly ethnic groups or generally younger groups, were at risk of not attending appointments (known as DNA or ‘did not attend’). A scheme for identifying and removing possible barriers preventing people from attending was being piloted within the ophthalmology service and it was proposed that outcomes from this be provided to Health and Wellbeing Together once available.

It was acknowledged that it had been a number of years since Consultant in Public Health, Dr Kate Warren had begun working closely with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and that the partnership had been successful; thanks were extended to John Denley, Director of Public Health for the support of his team. Thanks were reciprocated for the partnership work of the RWT, as well as initiatives introduced by Professor David Loughton CBE to support RWT staff in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

In response to a query around Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Board meetings, it was confirmed that meetings were accessible to the public and public questions were welcomed. Meetings were still being held remotely but discussions were ongoing on how to return to face to face, hopefully for the June 2023 meeting. 

Resolved:

1. That the Health Inequalities Dashboard Deep Dive: RWT Health Inequalities Steering Group Update be received.

2.    That an update on the progress of the Ophthalmology pilot scheme for addressing appointment non-attendance be scheduled on the Health and Wellbeing Together Forward Plan.

[To receive a presentation outlining the Draft Proposal for the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.]

Dr Jamie Annakin, Principal Public Health Specialist delivered the presentation outlining the Draft Proposal for the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health, which included an overview of the benefits, commitments and other implications of becoming a signatory.

It was outlined that signing the national Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health was a commitment from system leaders to work to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health and wellbeing.

It was outlined that, to be recognised as a signatory, applicants were also required to agree to the Prevention Concordat Consensus Statement as well as committing to producing a five-domain action plan.

Laura Brookes, Black Country Healthcare Foundation Trust expressed support for the proposals as the priorities aligned with those of the Trust as the Black Country’s lead mental health service provider. This support was echoed by several other Board members attending.

The purpose of the Concordat was queried as partners already worked well together. The already strong partnerships forged within the City were acknowledged, however it was felt that joining the Concordat would cement this further with a focus on addressing mental health together.

It was noted that there had been some good joint work during the Better Mental Health Programme 2021-2022, specifically around suicide prevention awareness and training, and support for groups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 however concerns were raised over delays reported by residents in accessing mental health services. It was noted that the work being undertaken around the Mental Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment sought to better understand challenges around accessing mental health support.

In response to a query around how to organise delivery, it was deliberated whether this could be done via OneWolverhampton.

Partners were encouraged to consider what signing the Concordat would mean for them. In response to a query about whether partners were expected to sign separately, it was confirmed Health and Wellbeing Together would be signing as a collective although partners would also be agreeing to adopt and embed priorities within their individual organisations.

It was agreed to progress the expression of interest for Health and Wellbeing Together to become a signatory.

Resolved:

That Health and Wellbeing Together agree to progress an expression of interest in becoming a signatory of the national Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.

[To receive a presentation on Police response to Concern for Welfare calls and consideration on partnership opportunities in respect of vulnerability.]

Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, West Midlands Police delivered the presentation outlining Right Care, Right Person - West Midlands Police Local Context. The presentation sought to inform Health and Wellbeing Together of the plans being developed to adopt the ‘Right Care, Right Person’ approach.

It was reported that police had been responding to many calls where they found they could not assist due to not having the specific skill set or the appropriate legal powers to act. This also led to officers being detained from incidents where police intervention was necessary.

It was outlined that the ambition for the proposed approach was to provide emergency call handlers with skills to assess a situation and determine the most appropriate response or signpost callers to other services and partner organisations.

A discussion followed during which partners made a number of suggestions and observations.

It was recognised that it took time to embed change and to consider what would be in place to avoid residents being placed at risk whilst training and communications on the new approach were being rolled out.

Stephen Dodd, Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action offered support in terms of identifying volunteer and social prescribing services to signpost non-urgent calls to.

The point was raised to consider what would happen if a participating partner did not have sufficient resources to respond or if they disagreed that a matter was within their scope.

It was suggested the scheme would need governance setting out details of responsibilities and expectations and how stakeholder responses would be coordinated.

It was considered how to address patient confidentiality being a potential barrier to accessing necessary information about the people involved in certain situations, which may lead to misinterpretation of events. 

Professor Farzad Amirabdollahian, University of Wolverhampton suggested the appliance of machine learning to matching callers with the right services by analysing existing call and response data and offered to assist with this.

It was suggested to be mindful of what legal powers were available to participating partners in relation to right of entry to properties or detaining people under the mental health act, as well as under what circumstances they could be exercised.

It was noted that further development and consultation was planned, and the Board was thanked for its input. 

Resolved:

That the Right Care, Right Person - West Midlands Police Local Context be received.

[To approve a refreshed Terms of Reference for Health and Wellbeing Together.]

Madeleine Freewood, Public Health Partnership and Governance Lead presented the Board Governance Review: Updated Terms of Reference for Health and Wellbeing Together and highlighted key points.

The report provided Health and Wellbeing Together with an updated Terms of Reference for approval following the creation of the Black Country Integrated Care System.

It was highlighted that in addition to the existing membership, it was proposed to invite representatives from the Better Homes Board and OneWolverhampton as members as well as extending invitations to representatives from the Local Pharmaceutical Committee and West Midlands Care Association as observers.

A query was raised around the Primary Care Trust and it was reported that, at present, there was an established link via the Primary Care Delivery Group which reported to OneWolverhampton.

It was suggested that the first meeting of the municipal year was to be extended to accommodate the annual workshop which would focus on the relationships between Health and Wellbeing Together and OneWolverhampton as well as incorporating discussions on the physical inactivity priority.

Resolved:

That the updated Terms of Reference for the Health and Wellbeing Together Board be approved.

[To consider any items of business by reason of special circumstances (to be specified) that in the opinion of the Chair are matters of urgency.]

There was no other urgent business.