Agenda item

The Chairman invited Councillor Helena Hart, Chairman of the Barnet Health and Wellbeing Board, and Dr. Andrew Howe, Director of Public Health (Harrow and Barnet Councils), to the table.

Councillor Hart referred to the item that the Committee had considered on the utilisation of Finchley Memorial Hospital and noted that it had originally been intended that two GP Practices move onto the site but that the costs involved were too high. Councillor Hart noted that the Practices that had been interested in occupying the Finchley Memorial Hospital site had required a better and wider range of services for patients in order to make it worthwhile for them to spend the money and that, in the end, they had chosen not to move in. Councillor Hart echoed the concerns raised by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the issues raised during the consideration of the Finchley Memorial Hospital item.  She also welcomed the decision to provide a permanent breast screening unit that she had been advised would be in place by the end of the summer.  Councillor Hart informed the Committee that she had been following up on the issue of breast screening which had been raised by the Member of Parliament for Finchley and Golders Green and noted that breast screening coverage was currently at 64%.  The Committee noted the need for being proactive and issuing follow up letters to those who do not take up a screening appointment. 

The Committee noted that, at their last meeting, they had received an urgent item on the issue of childhood immunisation rates in Barnet.  Councillor Hart informed the Committee that she was aware of new information that the Committee would be interested in which was as follows:

·         Since the beginning of 2016, the North London Health Protection Team have been notified of 58 positive cases of Measles, 6 of which are from Barnet.

The reason why 6 cases have been contracted in Barnet included:

·         1 child receiving one MMR jab, but not the second.

The Committee noted that it is possible given the age of those contracting measles who had not been immunised, that it was a result of the MMR and Autism scare some years ago.

Councillor Hart advised that it was important to read these reasons in public session and to stress that one dose of MMR vaccination is not sufficient and that there is no proven link between the vaccine and Austim.  Dr. Howe informed the Committee that NHS England, who are responsible for childhood immunisations, were insistent that the issue of the uptake of immunisations was a problem with the dataset.  However that could not yet be confirmed.  

The Committee noted that a Member briefing on Public Health had taken place earlier that evening and that Dr. Fabunmi had provided an update on Children’s Centres.  Councillor Hart informed the Committee that all Children’s Centres in Barnet had now achieved “healthy status”.

The Committee noted that Barnet had been placed joint first in London for a Gold Award as part of the Healthy Schools Programme and commented that is was positive that schools were recognising mental ill health as a problem among young people and doing something about it.

Councillor Hart informed the Committee that the campaign on Shisha was progressing well and that campaign materials, including posters for buses and the underground, were being produced.  The Committee noted that the campaign material was hard hitting and was being tested on focus groups of young people.  The Committee noted the importance of young people understanding the dangers of shisha and noted that a programme with young people would see children making videos on shisha. The Committee noted that Environmental Officers would be making visits to establishments licensed to sell shisha to check for compliance.  A Member of the Committee noted that shisha was a licensing issue and suggested that representatives from Licensing should attend the Health and Wellbeing Board whilst the issue is being discussed.  Councillor Hart informed the Committee that Licensing were involved and that they were also participating in a Task and Finish Group, which included senior representatives from Planning, Licensing, Environmental Health and Public Health.  The Committee noted that Councillor Hart would report back on the progress of the Task and Finish Group in due course.

A Member commented on the need for the public to be more aware of the complications that can arise from contracting Measles, Mumps or Rubella, which can include going blind.

The Chairman suggested writing to specific age cohorts about the dangers of MMR.  Dr. Howe informed the Committee that Public Health England are considering doing that and that they already have an age related campaign underway.  Dr. Howe undertook to speak to Public Health England about this suggestion.

A Member suggested that when the Committee receive the scheduled report on Health Tourism, the issue of Brexit be considered.  The Chairman advised that, at the moment, Britain was a Member of the European Union and that the report that had been requested was to do with non-EU citizens receiving treatment. 

The Vice Chairman suggested that the Committee received a report from the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust concentrating on North London and analysing whether patients from Hospices were able to gain access to A&E.

A Member commented that Capita had been awarded an England-wide contract of administrative support services for Primary Care and suggested that both the Committee and the North London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) receive a report on the matter.  The Vice Chairman suggested that the Member liaise with the Chairman of the JHOSC to see if it was a report that could be considered.  The Chairman asked the Member if he had received any complaints from residents in the Borough regarding this.  She stated that she had not received any complaints and Councillor Hart agreed that she had not received any either.  The Member informed the Committee that the issue had been reported in the health press.  The Member undertook to provide the Governance Officer with the relevant health press articles.

A Member noted that the Committee was due to receive a report on eating disorders and requested that this report also address the issue of Body Dysmorphia.  The Committee agreed to this request and asked that the scope of the eating disorders report be amended to include this.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The Committee notes the Forward Work Programme.

2.    The Committee requests that the issue of Body Dysmorphia be included within the future Eating Disorders report.