Agenda item

The Chairman asked Lead Members to update on Task and Finish Groups.

Councillor Ruth Bennett updated the Board with respect to the Diabetes Working Group (DWB) and stated that two new co-opted Members had been allocated, this included a patient representative. The Board were informed that 10% of NHS spend on diabetes was avoidable. The DWB were considering how they could reach out to a diverse range of community and ethnic groups. The DWB were considering if there would be benefit of linking up with obesity groups, including the Obesity Working Group (OWG).

Councillor Angela Page updated the Board concerning progress made by the Obesity Working Group. The Group had met twice to date, commencing with a presentation about the prevalence of the condition; it was noted that Bromley had the third highest obesity problem in London.

A number of projects had been suggested by Public Health for the OWG to get involved with. These included the development of a healthy weight pathway, along with a Tier 3 weight management plan. The Board were informed that Public Health had been working with Weight Watchers to deliver a “Healthy Weight” 12 week programme aiming to reduce the weight loss of individuals by between 5% and 7%.

The OWG was working to establish a “Healthy Weight Forum” by undertaking an asset mapping exercise across the LA, the CCG and other agencies to establish the current resource and services on offer in the borough that contribute to healthy weight. The aim of the work of the HWF would be to provide a report that would outline what the LA and health services could do within existing resources to raise the profile of the obesity problem, and to look to deliver projects and initiatives to help to reduce the burden.

The Board were informed that the OWG was aware of the synergies and overlap with the DWG, and both groups would be looking to ensure that actions and projects would be worked on jointly where appropriate. 

Councillor Judi Ellis for the Working Group dealing with the mental health of children informed the Board that a new triage system had been established, and that this had started working on the 1^st December 2014. They were currently experiencing the growing pains associated with the development of a new service. The aim of the new triage service was to concentrate resources on front end services. The children’s mental health working group was seeking to be proactive in developing good relationships with local schools. The Group had become aware of the importance of speech and language, and that very often communication was a problem for children. The Working Group was looking at ways to ensure that young people always a “significant person” to talk to. The next meeting of the Group was scheduled for the 25^th February 2015.

As Councillor William Huntington Thresher was not able to attend, Councillor Robert Evans updated the Board with respect to the Dementia Working Group (DWG), and informed Members that the DWG had  met three weeks ago. The DWG was aware that dementia was a key problem in Bromley, with a large elderly population. The DWG was concerned that there were lots of small and fragmented groups that had been set up to help to deal with dementia issues, but that these needed coordination to help avoid duplication. It was hoped that the Heath and Wellbeing Board would lead on the process of integration of these smaller groups.

The DWG had forged links with an important group known as the “Dementia Alliance”, and that this was a promising relationship. The DWG would be meeting shortly with two leading officers from the Dementia Alliance to see how the two parties could work together. A key target for the DWG was for LBB to be classed as a Dementia Friendly Borough.

The Chairman concluded this item by inviting any interested members to join a Task and Finish Group if they would like to get involved. 

RESOLVED that the report on Task and Finish Groups be noted.