The Derbyshire Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss a range of topics, including public health, pharmaceutical needs, strategic needs assessment, the NHS 10 Year Plan, health protection, the Better Care Fund, and a general health and wellbeing round up.

Public Health Localities Approach

The board was scheduled to discuss the Public Health Localities Approach and the Health and Wellbeing Partnership Annual Reports 2024-25. The Public Health Localities Approach has been used in Derbyshire since 2007 to deliver key priorities at a local level. It aims to provide a public health presence in local communities, building and maintaining local partnerships focused on health and wellbeing outcomes.

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

a) Recognise the value of the contribution of the Localities Approach and the eight Health and Wellbeing Partnerships, towards the delivery of the Derbyshire Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy. b) Agree to continue to receive quarterly updates on the contribution of the Localities Approach to the delivery of the Derbyshire Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy. c) To continue to support the work of the Locality Health and Wellbeing Partnerships in alignment with their organisation's context and needs.

The eight Health and Wellbeing Partnerships collaborate with community and voluntary sector organisations to enable residents to access community activities, support, and advice, contributing to community safety and resilience. Priorities are set locally, based on evidence of local need, community insights, and consideration of Derbyshire's Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). Typical priorities include increasing physical activity, mental health and suicide prevention, reducing social isolation and loneliness, financial and digital inclusion, supporting children and young people, ageing well, and empowering local communities.

The Public Health Localities Approach aims to empower communities to support each other and develop long-term solutions, shifting the public service system towards prevention and early interventions.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

The board was scheduled to discuss an update on the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) and the approach to reviewing new pharmaceutical market entry applications. The Health and Wellbeing Board has a statutory responsibility to maintain an up-to-date PNA, which includes identifying pharmaceutical services that are not currently provided but are needed to meet current or future needs, or to secure improvements or better access.

When a new pharmacy wants to enter the market, they apply to NHS England, which then seeks representation from interested parties, including the local Health and Wellbeing Board. The board's feedback carries weight due to its understanding of local need and provision through the PNA. The board's response should reflect the nature of the application and provide factual feedback on the evidence provided, using evidence of need and local provision from the PNA.

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

a) note the completion of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for Derby and Derbyshire for 2025 to 2028 b) approve the approach to responding to pharmacy market entry applications, which is outlined in Appendix 2 of the report. c) note the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment has been circulated to Health and Wellbeing Board for virtual approval

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

The board was scheduled to discuss the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) update and next steps. The JSNA is an ongoing process to assess the current and future health and social care needs of local communities, guiding the planning and commissioning of health, social care, and well-being services. It is a joint and equal statutory responsibility shared between local authorities and integrated care boards, overseen by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

A three-year JSNA transformation programme commenced in 2022, aiming to create a jointly owned platform with co-authored content. The new JSNA was relaunched in October 2024 as a key source of information and analysis to inform health, social care and wellbeing decision making.

The Health and Wellbeing Board plays a key assurance role for the JSNA, promoting it as a single version of truth about the health of the population and holding partners to account for their shared responsibility in maintaining and developing it.

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

a) Note the progress with the development of the JSNA since the last update in October 2024. b) Note its role in assuring the development of the JSNA, and in holding partners to account to collaborate, develop and use the JSNA to improve the health of Derbyshire residents. c) call on all member organisations and wider partners to engage with and use the JSNA, to co-produce content and to incorporate the JSNA into strategic planning and development.

Better Care Fund

The board was scheduled to discuss the Derbyshire Better Care Fund Quarter 1 return for 2025/26. The Better Care Fund (BCF) represents a collaboration between the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Local Government Association. It aims to support local systems in integrating health and social care to support person-centred care, sustainability, and better outcomes for people and carers.

The BCF policy framework for 2025/26 focuses on:

• Reform to support the shift from sickness to prevention
• Reform to support people living independently and the shift from hospital to home

Key headline metrics include emergency admissions to hospital for people aged 65+, average length of discharge delay for all acute adult patients, and long-term admissions to residential care homes and nursing homes for people aged 65+.

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board approve the Quarter 1 return.

Health Protection Board Update

The board was scheduled to note the key discussions and messages arising at the Derbyshire Health Protection Board meeting on 18 July 2025. The Health Protection Board is a sub-group of the Derbyshire Health and Wellbeing Board, providing assurance that adequate arrangements are in place for the prevention, surveillance, planning, and response required to protect the health of residents.

Key updates provided during the meeting included:

• Review of current performance for screening and immunisation programmes
• Update on changes to the childhood vaccine schedule
• Update on changes to the contracting of the Neonatal Hepatitis B vaccination service
• Update on planning for the flu and covid vaccination programmes for Autumn/Winter 2025/26
• Information on additional areas assessed against the Health Protection Assurance Framework: Environmental Hazards
• Update on current communicable disease epidemiology

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board note the update report from the Health Protection Board.

Health and Wellbeing Round Up Report

The board was scheduled to discuss a round-up of key progress in relation to Health and Wellbeing issues and projects not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Items included in the round-up were:

• Integrated Care Partnership Update
• Poverty of Ambition: Why we need bold action to tackle poverty and improve mental health, a report published by the Mental Health Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Foundation that explores the link between poverty and mental health, with policy recommendations to reduce stigma and improve access to services.
• Giving every child the best start in life, a strategy published by the Department for Education which aims to improve child development by focusing on high-quality early years education and care
• A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country: No one starts, everyone stops, no profit in tobacco, a report published by Action on smoking and health (ash) that outlines a strategy to end smoking in a generation.
• Notification of Pharmacy Applications, including changes to supplementary hours for Bestway National Chemist Ltd in Whaley Bridge.
• Update from Health and Wellbeing Board Development Session
• The NHS 10 Year Plan: Neighbourhood Model
• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

The report pack included a recommendation that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

a) Note the information contained in this round-up report. b) Agree that members provide any updates on work that has taken place in their organisation towards the Areas of Focus.