Agenda item
Healthy Life Expectancy in Tower Hamlets - Annual Public Health Report of the Director of Public Health 2018
- Meeting of Health & Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Monday, 8th July, 2019 6.30 p.m. (Item 6.)
- View the background to item 6.
Minutes:
The Committee received the report of Somen Banerjee (Director of Public Health) on Healthy Life Expectancy in Tower Hamlets.
Key points raised in the presentation:
- Data analysis from the Annual Report would inform the new Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Strategic Plan.
- Healthy life expectancy was defined as the period in a person’s life in which they experience good health. This period was consistently lower in Tower Hamlets compared nationally. The healthy life expectancy in Tower Hamlets was around 56 years, for example, whereas it was 71 years in Woking.
- Healthy life expectancy was lower for women in Tower Hamlets. As of 2014 the healthy life expectancy for men in Tower Hamlets increased and the trend had continued. Reasons behind this would be explored.
- There was a correlation between multiple deprivation and healthy life expectancy. Tower Hamlets still had high levels of concentrated deprivation despite the perception that the borough had risen in affluence.
- Stroke, cancer and respiratory disease were the biggest killers in the borough. High rates of diabetes continued to affect the South Asian community. It was estimated that three thousand people remained undiagnosed.
- The Primary Care Morbidity Survey showed Tower Hamlets had the highest levels of self-rated anxiety and depression in London but not the highest level of GP diagnosed mental health conditions.
- Tower Hamlets was an outlier in maternal health, smoking cessation and healthy diet. Wider factors such as crime, poverty, low income, insecure housing, overcrowding, poor adult literacy also impacted on wellbeing and healthy life expectancy.
- That the health and care system needed to understand who was using its services, address inequalities and consider intervention.
- Tower Hamlets had the highest level of obese 10-11 year olds. It was suggested a family approach should be taken to support healthy behaviours.
- That smoking continued to be a driver of health inequality and was prevalent in areas of deprivation.
- The borough was experiencing significant population growth and building development. Health impact assessments had been introduced for major planning and development applications.
- The Tower Hamlets Together Board was a key partner in the strategic planning of health services.
- The cycle of deprivation and inequality could be addressed by providing support at the start of the life course during the early years.
- The framework underpinning the Health and Wellbeing Strategy addressed three key priorities, these were: safety, a sense of purpose and a connection to other people.
- Bhutan’s ‘gross national happiness’ gauge was praised as an innovative wellbeing indicator. Comparatively, the Thriving Cities Framework in Bristol could provide insight into taking forward such a strategy in the UK.
Summary of Member questions and officer response:
With regard to the figures on page 49 of the report, you mentioned the differential and healthy life expectancy across the Olympic boroughs in men shoot up in 2014-16, but this table shows a pattern of ebb and flow. Was this due to how the data was collected or something else? Is the trend similar for 2017-19?
The Public Health team had also noted this pattern and queried it with data analysts. It was confirmed that the data was accurate and showed a significant improvement. The most recent data, which was not tabled at the meeting, showed that the improved trend was continuing.
Do we have the data by ethnicity and if not can we obtain it from the survey? Officers agreed to send Members the national breakdown by ethnicity because the ethnic breakdown for Tower Hamlets would be too small to identify significant trends.
What was the source of the data for those who self-reported with mental health issues?
The first source was a local survey about mental health. The second source came from GP held mental health registers.
Which projects can practically make a difference and where will the council put its money?
The Framework outlines the health strategy’s overarching priorities which are in line with the council priorities. This includes things like secure housing, feeling safe, a sense of community. The biggest challenge is how to move into co-production and how to engage and connect people in a growing urban environment with populations in flux.
The Tower Hamlets Together partnership has a work stream called ‘Measuring What Matters’. This is an impact based accountability framework and it has been used to monitor services around loneliness and physical activity. Outputs are being measured via a series of ‘I Statements’ and will be monitored by the Tower Hamlets Together partnership.
Are we doing enough to pump in resources to improve healthy life expectancy in deprived areas? Do you have any examples where you have made an improvement in a deprived area?
The Communities Driving Change programme is an example. The programme is a conscious co-production approach targeted to the twelve most deprived wards in the borough and aims to find out what matters to residents and what will support their health and wellbeing. Residents have reported feeling safer is a key issue as it would enable them to take part in healthier activities such as walking.
There is new funding for child and adolescents mental health. There are conversations happening around whether we should change the pattern of spend towards more intervention and early support services. Currently a significant portion of funds are being spent on treatment as opposed to prevention. Social prescribing has also proven to be effective and requires increased investment.
RESOLVED:
- To note the report.
Supporting documents:
- Health Scrutiny Public Health Report for 080719, item 6. PDF 140 KB
- Appendix 1 TH PH Report, item 6. PDF 2 MB
- 2 APHR HWB Slides, item 6. PDF 2 MB