Agenda item

Lesley Jones, Director of Public Health to give a presentation at the meeting. The documents are presentation are attached.   

Lesley Jones, Director of Public Health presented the key messages from the GM Independent Review on Inequalities and the GM Marmot Report and explained the implications that this has for the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Greater Manchester has had the benefit of excellent reports on inequalities from the Marmot Team and the Independent Commission for Inequalities. Both teams provided powerful and stark evidence on how inequalities have worsened as a result of Covid-19.

The key points from the reports for the Health and Wellbeing Board to note are:-

• The GM Independent Commission described Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement as awake-up call around inequalities.
• Sir Michael Marmot expressed concerns about the declines in life expectancy that their research unveiled.
• Both teams highlighted the collective spirit of collaborations and the strengths of partnerships across GM.
• There is a commitment to build responses to the findings and recommendations of both reports into the refresh of the Greater Manchester Strategy.

The Inequalities Commission provided a helpful framework within their report to help understand the different dimensions of inequalities; this framework is a good way of understanding different types of inequalities and how they intercept with each other. A reflection of this framework can be built into the Health and Wellbeing Board’s Outcomes Framework.

The two fundamental elements that were underpinning both reports were power and resources.

There were over 100 recommendations over both reports which have emphasis on setting targets around inequalities, the importance of good work and good pay and the importance of a good start in life.

The Bury ‘Let’s Do It Strategy’ has an ambition and vision to tackle inequalities and focuses on the key themes that have emerged from both reports.

Lesley Jones shared ideas on what the Health and Wellbeing Board should be focusing on and the key questions the Board should be asking.

Tyrone Roberts explained about a positive piece of work that the Norther Care Alliance is doing around inequalities in recruitment.

Ruth Passman explained how the work of Healthwatch links into the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board. Healthwatch has recently published their annual report which highlights the work that has been completed. Ruth Passman gave examples of how Healthwatch are tackling inequalities around the vaccination programme. Healthwatch has pledge to develop health champions with Bury Council.

Will Blandamer questioned if there were any findings that came out of the reports that the Health and Wellbeing Board should be focusing on. 

Lesley Jones suggested that the Health and Wellbeing Board should embed the notion of implementation decay, and to recognise that some people require bespoke and tailored support to meet their needs which is resource intensive. The Board will need to accept there will need to be more resources put into addressing inequalities. Lesley Jones suggested that the Board should focus on the issue of power and ensure that people are given the resources to develop power.

Sharon McCambridge suggested that the Board should look at community safety and to have a focus on the Community Safety Strategy to effectively target areas that are suffering more in inequalities.

Councillor Simpson explained that the Board needs to have good intelligence with the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) to be able to complete targeted intervention. Councillor Simpson’s concerns were around the difference in life expectancy between Trafford and Manchester and allocating resources in a fair way.

Councillor Simpson explained it was important to have community champions who understand what the issues are within their communities and who have real lived experiences and ensure they are involved in the decision making in their communities.

Lesley Jones explained that there are lots of work streams actively looking to involve people with lived experience.

It was agreed:

1.        That the GM Independent Review on Inequalities and the GM Marmot report be noted.

2.        That the Board build a reflection of the Inequalities Commission Framework into the Outcomes Framework.

3.        The Board focuses on implantation decay and the issue of power and resources.

4.        The Board to look at linking the Community Safety Strategy to health and wellbeing.