Agenda item

(To receive a report from Derek Ward, Director of Public Health, which invites the Committee to consider and comment on a report whichpresents the Director of Public Health’s annual report focused, this year, on the health of children and young people in Lincolnshire, and the impact of Covid-19 on this population)

The Committee received a report from the Director of Public Health which focused, this year, on the health of CYP in Lincolnshire, and the impact of Covid-19 on this population. The Chairman invited the Director of Public Health to present the report. Members were advised that the issues and approaches related to CYP’s health differed significantly from that of adult’s health and it was important to remember that over 20 per cent of the population in Lincolnshire was 19 or younger. There was a significant distinction of the burden of disease identified in 0–5-year-olds compared to 15–19-year-olds, this data was used to arrange the most appropriate care and support to CYP. Non fluoridated water areas, particularly found in the east of the County, were seen to be having a noticeable detrimental effect to the dental health of CYP. It was identified that the Delta variant of the Covid-19 Coronavirus was the dominant variant in schools over December 2021. However, since CYP had returned to school, Omicron has become the dominant stream and was accelerating. Some age bands saw a drop in positive test data; however, this may have been a result of incomplete testing reports. Covid-19 restrictions were expected to have an impact on CYP’s mental health and social aptitude due to the limited face to face peer contact available.

Members of the Committee were given the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present, their responses are included below:

• The benefits of fluoridated water were clear and obvious, as its inclusion in water supply significantly reduced the risk of decayed or missing teeth. Toothbrushing and regular use of fluoridated toothpaste were also of great importance. The availability of fluoridation in the west of the county appeared to favour more affluent areas. The, yet unadopted, Health and Social Care Act proposed that the decision as to which areas receive fluoridated water would be taken by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. It was suggested that a dedicated report offering an overview of the process for water fluoridation could be brought to a future meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.
• The Council’s health visitor team were fully aware of the issues facing CYP in relation to years lost to disability. In addition targeted CYP’s nurses continued to support CYP as they progressed into school to ensure that treatment continued to be managed. All support offered was done so in partnership with General Practitioners (GPs). In cases of years of life lost, clinically led support was offered through hospitals.
• The issues which were focussed on when issuing public health messaging were matters that could be effectively influenced such as physical activity and proper nutrition. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, children dental health education messaging wasn’t as frequent as previous years, however an oral health promotion service called Lincolnshire Smiles had been commissioned which was targeted at areas of need, such as early years settings, encouraging supervised toothbrushing. A change of Ofsted guidance suggested the introduction of a pathway of learning informed by the demographics of the communities served. As a result of this, officers contacted schools advising them of their demographics, including offering information surrounding tooth decay rates for CYP.
• Messages advocating for a healthy lifestyle through pregnancy, such as avoidance of alcohol and cigarettes, was published through One You Lincolnshire’s communications messages. Particular emphasis was put on the impact of smoking as the leading cause of inequalities in the whole of life expectancy as well as birth complications. Work was being done with the NHS to prioritise access for pregnant women to a general population smoking cessation program.
• Access to dentistry for CYP was a fundamental step to avoid missing and filled teeth, and the limited availability of dentists was acknowledged. It was advised that responsibility for dentistry was moving over to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and would be part of the Integrated Care System (ICS) responsibility.
• There wasn’t a statutory provision to attend school virtually, however schools often took the view that young carers were vulnerable children. The opportunity for children to come into school, focus on their own learning and be with their friends was greatly appreciated. In addition, for CYP who didn’t want to go to school because of emotional reasons, a service within the Pupil Reintegration Team would explore options to support CYP to attend school in person, such as facilitating telephone conversations over lunch breaks.

RESOLVED

              That the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report be noted.