Issue - meetings

The report had not been produced for two years as a result of Covid-19, however, those two years had shone a light on the Borough’s health inequalities. Health inequalities had begun to widen further as a result of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. The report highlighted what the Council and partners were doing to combat inequalities and what more needed to be done.

Members agreed that the issues faced by Telford & Wrekin were not just local but national issues and required government intervention. Members also stated the need to work with communities to co-design services, highlighting local needs.

The leader of the Conservative group sought an update on maternity services. The Director: Health & Wellbeing stated that as she had not prepared to discuss the topic she would seek to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat group echoed the statement that the government needed to do more on health inequalities.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet endorse the following recommendations

a)         The Health & Wellbeing Board should ensure that the Health Inequalities plan is refreshed in 2022/23 and that future Health & Wellbeing Strategy maintains a commitment to tackle health inequalities.

b)        The Health & Wellbeing Board should ensure that there is a clear ‘Best Start in Life’ priority in the next Health & Wellbeing Strategy.

c)         NHS partners should work with the Council and partners, as part of the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin ICS, to identify and implement placed-based programmes to improve the physical and mental health and associated inequalities of our children & young people.

d)        The Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care System should ensure that their plans to roll out NHS prevention programmes and the delivery of services that tackle healthcare inequalities (as defined by NHS England) are prioritised, resourced and delivered to those communities most in need.

e)         The Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Covid vaccination programme should ensure that the necessary resources and capacity are appropriately directed to reduce vaccine inequalities, specifically encouraging people from deprived communities, those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and other groups with low uptake to get vaccinated.

f)          The Council’s Insight team, working with intelligence teams in the NHS and partner organisations, should continue to develop the intelligence base to more fully understand the ‘picture’ of inequalities within the borough to both inform and monitor our inequalities programme of work.

g)        The Health & Wellbeing Board should explore ways of ensuring work to tackle health inequalities is recognized and visible across our multiple partnerships – this could entail becoming a ‘Marmot Borough’.