The Annual Public Health Report can be found at the following web address:
http://www.haringey.gov.uk/813.39_public_health-alcohol_a4_4pp_final_web.pdf
Minutes:
Jeanelle de Gruchy presented the Annual Public Health report, and outlined the content of the report, including the key factors affecting alcohol consumption, the health and social harms associated with alcohol abuse and the steps being taken within the borough to address these issues. It was noted that this year’s report focused on alcohol, which related specifically to Outcome 2 of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy – a reduced gap in life expectancy. The following points were covered as part of the discussion on the report:
· With regards to the map indicating violence hotspots and licensed premises in Haringey, the Board asked whether the report identified alcohol-related violence as an issue affecting more deprived areas particularly. It was noted that although alcohol-related harm was an issue across the borough, the impact was greatest in more deprived areas.
· It was noted that the prominence of violence hotspots in more deprived areas was exacerbated by a number of factors in addition to alcohol use, and that the way in which such statistics were presented needed to be considered carefully.
· As part of the ongoing work around licensed premises, it was noted that businesses such as hairdressers had licences to sell alcohol, demonstrating how readily available alcohol was in many settings.
· In response to a question regarding how the report had been promoted, it was reported that it had been presented at the Area Forums, and had been supplied to HAVCO, schools and GP practices – Board Members were invited to make additional suggestions of how else to promote the report.
· The Board discussed its own role, and it was felt that this should involve raising awareness, linking in with other organisations around this issue and providing leadership. Monitoring of the HWB Strategy delivery plan was key, to ensure that actions were being implemented, and also to assess the impact of the delivery plan.
· Close liaison with the Community Safety Partnership was important in order to address this issue, and joined-up working, especially information sharing, was to be encouraged wherever possible.
· It was suggested that there should be more work to engage specific groups in a more targeted way, for example young people, those living with diabetes, etc.
· In monitoring the implementation of the delivery plan, part of the Board’s role should be to identify where there were any barriers preventing full implementation (for example lack of data) and to look at how these barriers could be overcome.
· It was reported that there were incentives for GPs to gather data on alcohol consumption, and that alcohol was one of the risk factors that GPs routinely asked patients about. All new patients were screened with regards to alcohol when registering at GP practices, as well as within chronic disease management. Data on alcohol consumption was also linked to the QOF.
· It was reported that hospitals were being encouraged to gather information on alcohol consumption, and to use this information more proactively.
· Analysis undertaken between the local authority and CCG around alcohol-related hospital admissions was being prepared for circulation to GP surgeries; it was anticipated that this information would be welcomed by GPs and would help to recognise those most likely to be at risk.
· A question was asked as to whether, having identified that a patient was at risk from alcohol-related harm, there was sufficient capacity in the system to address this in a constructive way. It was agreed that this was an issue that should be looked into. Jeanelle de Gruchy advised that there would be a report back to the Board in around 3 months on service provision in this area, incorporating user feedback. ACTION: Director of Public Health
· It was suggested that GPs write to all their registered patients with information around alcohol-related harm, as GPs tended to be a source of information that people trusted; it was felt that there may be some barriers to sending out a blanket-style letter, including potential costs and the risk of diluting the message, however it was agreed that the local authority would work with the CCG to look at what was being done elsewhere, and identify areas where primary care services could do more around this issue. ACTION: Director of Public Health