1. Health and Wellbeing Boards
Avril Imison
LaMPS conference
Southampton
5 July 2013

2. Health and Wellbeing Boards
Were in Shadow form April 12 – March 13
April 13 forwards; real and have to meet in Public-fully constituted Council committee
Boards of Commissioners not Commissioning Boards
Strategic Boards-shared vision and principles has to have an agreed HWB Strategy (using JSNA)
Has responsibilities but no decision making power
Memberships of Boards vary
Health Oversight and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) are able to comment on HWB activity

3. Statutory Functions delegated to Director of Public Health /LA
Council’s duty to take steps to improve public health
SoS’s public health protection or health improvement functions
Planning and responding to emergencies that present a public health risk
Role to co-operate with the police, probation and prison services
Plus anything else the SoS sees fits to delegate
The DPH has to write a Public Health report and the LA has a responsibility to publish it
DPH is a mandated member of the HWB

4. The Role of the Board;
Use of the JSNA and PHE data provided to the CCG and to Councils to inform the production of;
A Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Updated JSNA
Pharmaceutical Needs assessment
Plus responsibility
to increase and develop integration of health and social care
to expand joint commissioning
to ensure Public Engagement; Healthwatch are members of the Board(community and Vol sector) and strengthen local accountability

5. Membership of Board
Unusual for Councils as have Councillors and Officers of the Council working together
Power of Health varies from place to place according to the number of CCGs
Voting and Quorums also vary
No providers- as it is a grouping of commissioners
Director of Public Health mandated position; PHE say as “honest broker”, not easy- now also the arbitrators in HCAI disputes
Unlikely that any of us would be a member

6. Health agenda similarities with Local Government
Supporting the movement of secondary healthcare services into community based settings saving over £8 billion in England
Moving towards a healthcare system in which private providers are able to deliver over 20% of services by 2020 
Effectively managing change throughout a period of transition 
Working with private sector healthcare companies looking to obtain community health contracts with local and NHS health services 
Encouraging alternative providers of health services within the community setting
Supporting the creation of successful social enterprises within the health sector 
A fundamental shift in the NHS shift towards a personalised system: Changing the way health services are designed, commissioned and delivered
as described by Bob Ricketts Director of Strategy and Provider Development

7. The Emerging role of Local Authorities
The emerging role of health and wellbeing boards as a pivotal aspect of delivering community health services
Strengthening working relationships between health and social care professions 
Encouraging the development of more integrated commissioning of services
Effectively implementing statutory functions from April 2013
The role of local authority members in health and wellbeing boards
Encouraging community engagement in community health services: Ensuring accountability 
Supporting the work of health and wellbeing boards: Building relationships across the health social care sector to improve patient outcomes in the community 
As described by a County Council leader and LGA

8. How to influence a HWB
Know who is on your local Board; chose an appropriate person to lobby-E.g. councillor or Healthwatch
Councillors are new to the Health agenda
Councils are political and so lobbying and briefing will be necessary, but watch your relationship with your Commissioners
Health Commissioning is still in the hands of the CCG, so lead GPs will also need to be lobbied
Ensure you link your subject to the agreed priorities ; HWB Strategy and the CCG Integrated plan( plus JSNA)
Localism agenda v Competition and AQP
Councils are used to procuring services from the Private and Voluntary sectors- threat or opportunity
Councils tend to be “poorer” than the NHS and are subject to greater efficiency savings (CSR minus 10%)- have savings in mind as ever
New integrated Health and social care plans are the new requirement- so make friends with your Borough Colleagues

9. New Mechanisms to Deliver the Agenda for the HWB
On the Horizon are Integrated Care organisations (ICO) ; this will definitely affect your services and your staff
Norman Lamb MP announcement was on national TV
These organisations will be the mechanism to save money by integrating H&SC teams to create savings
There is a national working group looking at how these will function; Legal status, operating model ,financing, staffing etc

10. Key actions for you Go and listen to the HWB in Public
Keep up with and read commissioning documents for priorities
Lobby when you can, whilst having an eye to your main commissioners views- use the priorities
One Councillor will have Public health and HWB in their portfolio
Join in on any developments; ICO’s, Social enterprises, new developments in pathway redesign

11. Thank you