Anna Tebay/Rebecca Fletcher/Gerard Jones to present
Public Health Updates
Minutes:
The Health and Wellbeing Board received a presentation regarding multi-agency efforts, within the Borough to combat health inequalities, specifically for this purpose insofar as it affected and impacted on children.
In terms of general background information regarding poverty, children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be living with obesity, than those living in the least deprived areas. It was noted that boys have a higher prevalence of living with obesity than girls for both age groups. In the ethnic minority communities, there was a prevalence of Children in Oldham who were overweight and obese, which was higher in all non-white ethnic groups for both reception and year 6 children.
Surveys had revealed that:
a. A lower Take up in Oldham – Participation in the programme fell nationally in 2021/22 but remained lower in Oldham. This could potentially impact the findings.
b. A decrease in Prevalence in Reception – Children in reception who are overweight and Obese decreased in 2021/22 in Oldham and nationally. Oldham’s rate is now lower than national average, this is the first time since 2015/16.
c. An increase in Prevalence in Year 6 – In contrast, prevalence across year 6 in Oldham and Nationally continued to increase and has done consistently since 20016/17. Oldham’s rate is significantly higher than national rate.
d. A higher Prevalence in Boys – Across both age groups, boys have a higher prevalence, but is more significant at Year 6.
e. A higher Prevalence in deprived areas – Children living in deprived areas are much more likely to be overweight or obese.
f. A higher Prevalence in Non-White Ethnic Groups – Prevalence of Children in Oldham who are overweight and obese is higher in all non-white ethnic groups for both reception and year 6 children.
It was reported that Oldham’s infant mortality rate has been higher than Greater Manchester, the North West region and England rates consistently for over a decade. In the 2018-20 period, Oldham was 6.2 per 1,000, compared with 3.9 per 1,000 England. It was an established fact that infant mortality correlates with deprivation. Oldham’s intelligence team found that the highest rates are observed by babies under 28 days of age. The most significant risk factors included: smoking in pregnancy, maternal obesity, unsafe sleep patterns and recessive genetic conditions.
The Board also considered the Borough’s Children’s Transformation Programme, which defined the approach to Children’s Transformation as being a holistic one encapsulating all areas of the service. The authority needed to address issues early with appropriate interventions to prevent escalation. The Council needed to consider cases where it has a ‘duty of care’, then there is an imperative to ensure that the best placement decisions are made, with the right checks and challenge. Secondly the council should ensure that it has productive and mature relationship with the necessary elements of the market to shape it to the authority’s needs and requirements.
Resolved:
That the presentation be noted and welcomed
That further updated reports/presentations, on this matter, be submitted to the Health and Wellbeing Board during 2023/24.