Limited support for Somerset
We do not currently provide detailed weekly summaries for Somerset Council. Running the service is expensive, and we need to cover our costs.
You can still subscribe!
If you're a professional subscriber and need support for this council, get in touch with us at community@opencouncil.network and we can enable it for you.
If you're a resident, subscribe below and we'll start sending you updates when they're available. We're enabling councils rapidly across the UK in order of demand, so the more people who subscribe to your council, the sooner we'll be able to support it.
If you represent this council and would like to have it supported, please contact us at community@opencouncil.network.
Summary
The Somerset Board met to discuss a range of issues, including the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, the NHS 10 Year Plan, and the Improving Lives Strategy. Councillor Bill Revans, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Governance & Communications, chaired the meeting. The board was scheduled to receive updates from several senior responsible officers (SROs) on key projects.
NHS 10 Year Plan
The Somerset Board was scheduled to discuss the implications of the NHS 10 Year Plan for the board's ways of working. Alison Bell, Director of Public Health, was expected to present on the legislative impact of the plan on the Somerset Board and its governance.
The NHS 10 Year Plan outlines three key shifts:
- From hospital to community
- From analogue to digital
- From sickness to prevention
The plan describes how Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) are intended to be abolished, with Health and Wellbeing Boards taking on additional duties around the Better Care Fund and Neighbourhood Health Plans.
The report pack included a summary of engagement activity across Somerset, noting that 4,541 pieces of feedback were collected through surveys, conversations and events. It was noted that feedback from across Somerset showed strong support for the government's three key shifts, but people consistently stressed that these changes would only succeed if backed by proper investment, workforce capacity, transport, and inclusive access.
The plan sets out ambitions for 2028/29 including:
- Same-day digital and telephone GP appointments
- A GP led Neighbourhood Health Service
- Neighbourhood Health Centres in every community; increased pharmacy services and more NHS dentists
- The NHS App as the front door to the NHS
- Launch of Health Coach to help people take greater control of their health
- New weight loss treatments and incentive schemes to help reduce obesity
- Women able to carry out cervical screening at home using self-sample kits from 2026
The report stated that a new operating model for the NHS aims to devolve power from the centre to local providers, frontline staff and patients.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Update
Dr Orla Dunn, Consultant in Public Health, was scheduled to provide an update on the redesign and updating of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for Somerset. The JSNA is a statutory requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 20121, and provides an evidence base for the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS).
The new design for 2025 has taken more of a dashboard approach to the presentation of information across six main data sections:
- Population – facts and figures, life expectancy, population structure and growth, deprivation, key groups
- Beginning Well – birth and preschool issues, childhood vaccinations, child health
- Developing Well – school aged children and young adults, early risks, self-harm substance misuse, complex needs
- Living Well – major conditions, major risk factors and wider determinants / living conditions
- Staying Healthy – disease prevention and early diagnosis, screening and vaccination
- End of Life – frailty, falls, causes of death, premature mortality, suicide, planning for death according to a person's wishes
The Somerset Board was asked to endorse the current approach to production of the JSNA and individual organisations were asked to commit to using the JSNA to inform commissioning decisions.
Safer Somerset Partnership Annual Report
Councillor Heather Shearer, Lead Member for Children, Families and Education, was scheduled to introduce the Safer Somerset Partnership Annual Report. The Safer Somerset Partnership brings together agencies including Somerset Council, Avon and Somerset Police, and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.
SRO Updates
The Somerset Board was scheduled to receive updates from senior responsible officers (SROs) on key projects:
- Lucie Laker on shared data intelligence
- David McClay on integrated neighbourhood working
Shared Data Intelligence
The update on shared data intelligence included information on major DDaT2 programmes and a Somerset architecture for data sharing. Community conversations were scheduled to start at the end of September to engage the Somerset population on the approach to data sharing.
Integrated Neighbourhood Working
The update on integrated neighbourhood working noted progress on broadening the scope of the project, links with the Council Transformation Plan, and the development of a comprehensive case for change and resource to deliver. It also highlighted improvements in 'joining up' community-led initiatives such as the Coastal Place Partnership.
-
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 is legislation that reformed the National Health Service (NHS) in England. It changed the structure of the NHS, giving more power to local authorities and introducing new bodies to oversee commissioning and regulation. ↩
-
DDaT stands for Digital, Data and Technology. ↩
Attendees
Topics
No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.
Meeting Documents
Additional Documents