Agenda item

Joe Fowler, Director of Commissioning, Sheffield City Council, introduced a report of the Leader of Sheffield City Council and Co-Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, concerning the Board’s response to the City’s Fairness Commission. The report of the Fairness Commission was published in January 2013 and it included a framework of principles and a range of recommendations, four of which were specifically directed to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The report now submitted recommended ways in which the Board could support the work of the Fairness Commission.

Members of the Board discussed the report as summarised below:

·         The response of Sheffield City Council to the recommendations of the Fairness Commission would be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 17 July 2013.

·         The work outlined in paragraph 4.1 of the report concerning more fairly utilising health spending and the initial analysis of the equity of health spending would be resourced in 2013/14. It was noted that this was a complex issue. The NHS was largely demand-led and it was difficult to ensure equitable spend. Analysis as to the equity of health spending should therefore be undertaken as far as possible.

·         There was a correlation between a successful outcome for cancer patients and ensuring that people presented to their doctor as soon as possible and therefore received treatment in time.

·         There were a large number of organisations, other than the CCG and the Council, which would contribute to fairness in relation to health in Sheffield. Members of the Board were asked to address issues raised in the Fairness Commission’s recommendations both as part of the Board and in other places.

·         In addressing the wider determinants of health, the Commission recognised, through its recommendations, a need to improve access to services for people who under-use them, through education and awareness and to build people’s confidence to access services.

·         The Board wished to examine health inequalities and their scale; explore the reasons why health inequalities exist; and undertake a policy discussion concerning what can be done about health inequalities.

·         The analysis of the equity of health spend in the City, which was an action detailed at paragraph 3.3 of the report now submitted, should be carried out as far as possible. The Board should then oversee the fair utilisation of spend, which also achieved the best outcomes.

5.1

RESOLVED: that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

1.    Endorses in full the Fairness Commission principles and that Health and Wellbeing Board members commit, if they have not done so already, as part of their respective organisations, to supporting and promoting fairness across Sheffield.

2.    Supports the actions detailed in section 3.3 of the report, which pertain to specific Fairness Commission recommendations for the Health and Wellbeing Board.

3.    Supports the actions detailed in section 3.4 of the report, which suggest ways the Health and Wellbeing Board can support recommendations not directly aimed at the Board.

4.    Undertakes to discuss further the respective responses of Sheffield City Council and NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group.

5.2

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

1.    The Fairness Commission is an important city-wide commission that received a vast range of information about fairness across the City. Both NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group and Sheffield City Council have signed up to the principles of the Fairness Commission, and it is important that the Health and Wellbeing Board, as a system leader for health and wellbeing in Sheffield, supports the principles and recommendations of the Commission.

2.    Four of the recommendations in the Fairness Commission’s report are directed specifically at the Health and Wellbeing Board. It is important, therefore, that the Board provides a public response to the recommendations and works to bring about fairness across Sheffield.