Agenda item

6.1

The Committee received a report of the Director of Public Health giving an update on public health outcomes in Sheffield.  The report was self-explanatory and gave a profile of people’s health in Sheffield.  The aim was to help local government and health services understand the community’s needs so that they can work together to improve health and reduce health inequalities.

6.2

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, gave a brief overview, outlining the differing life expectancies in different parts of the city and the health inequalities in those areas.  He gave comparisons between Sheffield and the rest of England of deaths caused by cancer and cardio-vascular disease; infant mortality; teenage pregnancies; obesity in both children and adults; alcoholism, smoking and its related illnesses and death from suicide.  He stated that it had been found that obesity in childhood remained a lifelong problem and that 60% of children in the city lived in poverty.

6.3

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:

·                     With regard to children being taken into care, there had been a reduction in numbers between 2010 and 2017, however the figures had since started to rise.  It was believed that this was an accurate measure to show that children were being abused either physically, emotionally or mentally.

·                     Numbers of midwives were rapidly decreasing, therefore maternity services were declining and this could be reflected in the numbers in infant mortality rates.

·                     Every year, the number of winter deaths increased or decreased due to a number of factors.  The severity of the winter weather, take-up of flu vaccinations throughout the city and levels of fuel poverty were all indicators.

·                     NHS England and Public Health Services were investing in intervention and were working closely together to promote healthier lifestyles.  With regard to healthy eating there was no single answer.  The use of food banks was on the rise and it was hoped that more healthier foods could be given out at the banks and that those using them were made more aware of this.

·                     The Public Health Service was actively intervening in the type of food served in hospitals and schools, and was in contact with those companies who supplied sugary drinks to schools, in an attempt at reducing their sale.

·                     There were projects to raise awareness of child obesity to parents and some schools had already bought into this.  It was thought that schools needed to educate families as a whole towards living a better, healthier life.

·                     Sheffield International Venues has introduced a “sugar tax” in all of its facilities and was the first in the country to do so.  Over the past six months, intake of 10million calories have been saved.

6.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(a)       thanks Greg Fell for his contribution to the meeting; and

(b)       notes the contents of the report and the responses to Members’ questions and comments.