The Health and Wellbeing Board and ICB Sub-Committee met to discuss a range of public health matters, including updates from the London Ambulance Service, a new strategic approach to healthy weight, and contract variations for substance misuse services. The meeting also included a resident's story and a review of the Director of Public Health's annual report.

London Ambulance Service Update

A report was scheduled to be presented on the performance of the London Ambulance Service (LAS) in North East London, including Barking and Dagenham. The report was expected to provide an overview of improvements made over the past year and ongoing transformation work to enhance performance and the service provided to residents. The LAS aims to deliver outstanding emergency and urgent care across London, with a focus on rapid and seamless care, and being an inclusive, well-led, and highly skilled organisation. The report was intended to inform the Board about response times, particularly for Category 1 and Category 2 calls, and initiatives to improve handover times at hospitals such as King George Hospital and Queen's Hospital.

A New Strategic Approach to Healthy Weight in Barking & Dagenham

A report was scheduled to outline a proposed new strategic approach to tackling unhealthy weight in Barking and Dagenham. The report highlighted that the borough has one of the highest rates of overweight and obese adults and children in London, leading to increased risks of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The current approach, primarily focused on individualised weight management programmes, was deemed insufficient, reaching only a small fraction of the population. The proposed strategy advocates for a whole-systems, preventative approach, focusing on food, activity, and the environment to support a greater proportion of the population in mitigating risk factors for unhealthy weight. This new approach aims to be community-driven, realistic, and compassionate, moving away from a focus on individual behaviour change to a population-level intervention. The report recommended recognising the urgent need for this change and agreeing to the new strategic direction.

Adult Substance Misuse Integrated Service - Contract Variation

The meeting was scheduled to consider a report recommending the variation of the contract for the provision of the Adult Substance Misuse Service with CGL. This variation would extend the contract for five months, from 1 April 2024 to 31 August 2024, to ensure continuity of services during a delayed procurement process. The service provides critical interventions for adults with drug and alcohol problems, including prescribing medication for opioid dependency, and no alternative service exists in the borough that can provide a suitable replacement. The report detailed the proposed procurement strategy, the estimated contract value, and the reasons for the recommendation, which included maintaining service continuity and allowing sufficient time for the completion of the procurement exercise and the mobilisation of a new service.

Young People Substance Misuse Integrated Service - Contract Variation

Similarly, a report was scheduled to recommend the variation of the contract for the provision of the Young People Substance Misuse Service with V-I-A (formerly WDP). This variation would also extend the contract for five months, from 1 April 2024 to 31 August 2024, to ensure continuity of services due to procurement delays. The service provides critical specialist interventions to young people with substance misuse problems, preventing addiction and harm to their development. The report outlined the proposed procurement strategy, the estimated contract value, and the rationale for the extension, emphasizing the importance of maintaining these vital services for young people in the borough.

Resident's Story

The meeting was scheduled to hear from Jamie Postendorfen, Chair of the Just Say Parents' Group, who was expected to share a resident's story.

Other Public Items

The agenda also included an item for any other public items which the Chair decided were urgent, and a consideration of whether it would be appropriate to exclude the public and press from the remainder of the meeting due to the nature of the business to be transacted.