The Health Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Tuesday 7th January 2025 to discuss the proposed Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2024-2029 and receive an update on public health recommissioning. The committee noted the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and endorsed its proposed delivery models.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024-2029

The committee considered the North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2024-2029, presented by Jane Bethea, Director of Public Health. The strategy, developed in line with the Health and Care Act 2022, outlines five key priority areas: Smoking and Vaping, Keeping Active, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Children and Young People, and Financial Resilience. These priorities aim to improve the health and wellbeing of local populations and reduce health inequalities across the county.

During the discussion, members raised several points:

• Implementation Timeline: Concerns were expressed about the timeline for full implementation, with some action plans still under development, and the potential impact of delays on service delivery.
• Funding Allocation: Questions were raised regarding how funding would be allocated across the five priority areas, with particular concern about the sufficiency of the £750,000 from public health reserves for the scale of the challenges, especially in relation to smoking and vaping.
• Governance Structure: Members queried whether the multiple layers of governance could lead to delays in decision-making, particularly in urgent situations.
• Performance Indicators: The committee asked about the specific performance indicators that would be used to track progress and the frequency of data review.
• Public Accessibility of Data: Members inquired whether progress data would be made publicly available and how residents could access information on the strategy's impact.

In response, officers clarified that:

• Some initiatives, such as the smoking cessation programme, were already underway, while others, like childhood obesity interventions, required further development. The strategy was designed to be iterative, allowing workstreams to evolve over time.
• Funding allocation would be based on need and impact, with smoking cessation having received additional national funding, while other areas, such as financial resilience, would require local investment.
• The Strategic Oversight Group was intended as a problem-solving body, not an additional bureaucratic hurdle, and escalations to the Health and Wellbeing Board would only occur in cases of significant barriers to progress.
• Clear performance indicators, including national health metrics and locally tailored targets, were being developed for each workstream.
• Tracking data would be published online via the Health and Wellbeing Board's website to ensure transparency and accessibility for residents.

RESOLVED that: The report on the Health and Wellbeing Strategy be noted.

Public Health Recommissioning Update

Steve Oakley, Public Health Principal for Commissioning, provided an update on the Public Health Recommissioning Process, covering key areas such as smoking cessation, mental health services, and children's weight management programmes.

Key points raised during the discussion included:

• Youth Vaping Enforcement: Members expressed concerns about the rise in youth vaping and inquired about the enforcement measures in place to tackle the sale of illegal and underage vape products.
• Vape Shop Licensing: The potential introduction of licensing for vape shops as an enforcement tool was questioned.
• Financial Resilience and Smoking Cessation Integration: Members asked how financial resilience efforts would link to smoking cessation, particularly for lower-income smokers, and whether debt management advice was being integrated with stop-smoking support.
• Voluntary Sector Funding: The committee asked whether voluntary and community sector organisations would receive specific funding to support the delivery of commissioned services.

Officers responded by clarifying that:

• Joint operations with Trading Standards were ongoing to target underage sales and counterfeit vapes, with test purchasing and compliance checks leading to the seizure of illegal products.
• Licensing of vape shops was being considered at a national level under the Smoke-Free Generation Bill, and locally, additional enforcement work was being carried out to prevent the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products.
• Financial resilience services were being integrated with stop-smoking programmes to provide comprehensive support to individuals attempting to quit.
• Voluntary sector organisations would be eligible for specific funding opportunities, particularly in areas such as financial resilience and mental health services.

RESOLVED that: The report on the Public Health Recommissioning Update be noted.

Health Scrutiny Work Plan

The committee noted the Health Scrutiny Work Plan for the upcoming period.

RESOLVED that: The Committee notes the Scrutiny Work Plan as it relates to Health Scrutiny.

The meeting concluded at 9:05 pm.