Agenda item

The Committee considered a joint report of the Director of Public Health and Director of Corporate Resources which provided information on the proposed 2017/18 to 2020/21 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) as it related to the Public Health Department. A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item ‘8’ is filed with these minutes. 

The Chairman welcomed Mr. E. F. White CC, Cabinet Lead Member for Health to the meeting.

In his introduction to the report, the Director of Public Health explained that the MTFS proposals for 2017/18 related wholly to the Public Health Department and were intended to address the reduction in Public Health grant of the MTFS savings requirement. Most of the savings for 2017/18 were the full year impact of changes which had been successfully implemented the previous year from 2018/19 onwards and that the role of Public Health should be seen in the broader context of the Council-wide Early Help and Prevention Review.

The Cabinet lead Member welcomed the report which, in his opinion, showed that the Department was well led, in control of its budget and was able to identify new ways of delivering services at a lower cost than had previously been the case.

In response to questions and comments the Committee was advised as follows:-

(i)     The Committee welcomed the report and the ethos of the Department which was to make efficiency savings through good contract management. Most of the savings for 2017/18 were the full year impact of changes which had been successfully implemented the previous year;

(ii)    Prevention formed one of the 14 workstreams of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland STP. Some elements of this workstream would be delivered jointly with Leicester City and Rutland and some would be specific to Leicestershire. First Contact Plus was integral to the Leicestershire prevention model. The Director undertook to inform members if there was anything they could do to help preserve this vital part of preventative services;

(iii)  The Committee was of the view that the First Contact Plus service was an integral part of the Council’s prevention offer as it was the place from which people were referred to all other services. Concern was expressed that the funding for First Contact Plus for 2017/18 had not been confirmed as 2/3 of the funding for the service would come from the Better care Fund and this had not yet been agreed. It was hoped that the NHS partners would continue to fund First Contact Plus through the Better Care Fund;

(iv)  It was noted that there were some difficulties with the interoperability of First Contact Plus with GP surgery IT systems. It was confirmed that further work would be undertaken in this area to ensure that the system was as easy as possible for GPs to use;

(v)    The Committee welcomed the commitment to the Lightbulb Service which was a programme of integrating practical housing support into a single service that was available to all, easier to access, easier to use, and shaped around an individual’s need not an organisation’s processes. It was noted that the business case had not yet been approved by all district councils, although it was expected that this would be in place in due course;

(vi)  It was confirmed that the Sexual Health testing online service had gone live on 1 January 2017. This enabled service users to register their details online so that they could receive a testing kit sent directly to their home. It was suggested that this service should be promoted to GP surgeries;

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the report and information now provided be noted;

(b)       That the comments now made be forwarded to the Scrutiny Commission for consideration at its meeting on 25 January 2017.