The Director of Public Health reported that the department were required to make in- year savings. The July principles helped to guide difficult decisions by protecting vulnerable children and adults and making efficiencies to protect front line services. Public Health will also work with the Health and Wellbeing Board and departments across the council to embed public health principles.

A panel member asked about the underspend which resulted in  £600,000 being transferred to adult social care. The Director of Public Health reported that overall there is uncertainty and concern for future funding. However there was some money within the budget to support adult social care and  this helped to ensure the service is fully efficient.

A panel member asked if the saving for the de-commissioning of the handy man service is a false economy as this service can prevent older people having hazards in the home that can lead to falls. There is also £40,000 surplus in the savings budget.

The Director of Public Health reported that the savings plan is more stringent than target to manage uncertainty, they have also built in a small margin of error. All the services provided by public health team focus on prevention so there could be an impact in the longer term. The team are trying to not be short termed focussed and work in silos but rather look across the system to ensure minimum impact of budget savings. There is also a mop up service for handy man service.

A panel member said Age UK provide a handy man service and had to absorb additional costs following the end of the council service and would therefore like more details about the mop up service. The Director of Public Health agreed to provide details of the alternative to the handyman service

A panel member said why the substance misuse contract is being re-procured. The Director of Public Health said the package was stringent and therefore no bids were received. There has been significant learning from the process and the team will work with providers at an earlier stage in future.

A panel member expressed concern about the significant savings in Live-Well re-procurement which will in turn lead to reductions in the smoking services. Again this prevention services is a false economy as it can prevent the onset of other more expensive health conditions and can lead increases in unemployment.

 The Director of Public Health reported that the current system does not incentivise prevention. Although the NHS will benefit from smoking cessation, the funding for the service  is provided from the public health budget. The Sustainability and Transformation Plans will seek to address this and take a holistic approach across the health system and make it easier for budgets to be pooled and organisations to work together.

A panel member queried the changes to the smoking cessation budget. The Director of Public Health reported that the service will be targeted at the most vulnerable. The Public Health team are looking at digital measures and information apps for those who wish to access the service. There are on-going discussions with the NHS to include smoking cessation in the long term conditions care pathways.

Councillor Stephen Crowe  put forward a motion asking the panel to support the public health budget except for the cuts to the  handy man service.

Councillors Crowe, Grocott and Latif voted in favour of the motion.

No councillors voted against the motion

Councillors McCabe, Curtin, Kenny Attwar and Skette abstained from the motion.

The motion was carried.

RESOLVED

That officers consider the motion passed by this Panel

That the Director provides more detail on alternatives to the handyman service.