Health & Employability Delivery Group
Note of Meeting – 27th February 2013
Atlantic Quay, Glasgow

Present:

Kate Burton (Chair) NHS Lothian

Roddy Duncan Scottish Government

Joanne Farrow Scottish Government

Judy Gibson Scottish Government

Isabell Donnelly Scottish Government

Jacqueline Brown DWP

Irene Bonnar NHS Borders

Brian Martin Edinburgh City Council

Jackie Erdman NHS GG&C

Lisa Buck NHS GG&C

Linda Leighton Beck NHS Grampian

Neil Hamlet NHS Fife

Apologies:

Hazel Meechan NHS Forth Valley

Elaine Little NHS Lanarkshire

Frieda Stewart NHS Tayside

Jackie Bayne NHS Tayside

Michael Kennedy DWP

AGENDA ITEM 2: Welfare Reform

Scottish Government Welfare Reform: Isabell Donnelly

Isabell provided an overview of Welfare Reform work from a Scottish Government perspective, covering the number of welfare reforms which are or have been introduced, and mitigation work which is being taken forward in partnership with COSLA and the Improvement Service to help manage the transition to the new benefits regime. Full note is attached for information.

Actions:

·  Kate agreed to contact Dr Paul Litchfield who is currently conducting a review of the WCA to invite to Scotland, and to check who from Scotland is currently participating in the Review Group. Please see for http://indusdelta.co.uk/story/fourth_independent_review_work_capability_assessment_announced/12330 additional info.

·  Kate to circulate Support & Exceptions paper

Impact of Welfare Reform on NHS: Roddy Duncan

Roddy outlined the potential short and the long term implications for the health outcomes of those affected by the welfare reform, and for demand on healthcare services. Anecdotal evidence from Primary Care practices and quantitative assessment by a number of charitable/third sector bodies suggests that Primary Care is seeing an increase in people making appointments for help with welfare benefit issues. With the introduction of reassessment for Disability Living Allowance claimants later this year and Universal Credit the demand for help and support is likely only to rise.

Work has been carried out by NHS Lothian and the Scottish Health Impact Assessment Network (SHIAN) to assess the potential impact of the welfare reforms on health inequalities. This has been included in interim guidance published by the Scottish Public Health Network in December 2012.

The general conclusion is that significant proportion of those impacted by the reforms to welfare benefits will be financially worse off in either the short or the longer term. The ScotPHN review of evidence suggests that this is likely to have a negative impact on health, but that it is not possible to quantify this.

There are also risks associated with loss of carer support through withdrawal of carer allowances and in interrupted healthcare treatments through loss of mobility allowances.

Much of the mitigation, such as is possible, will be delivered through non-health services such as welfare benefits advice, financial inclusion, employment and employability, food banks, housing, etc.

The key role for the NHS in the short term will be to identify at risk populations and offer advice on health behaviours that will ameliorate the health impacts of increased poverty (smoking cessation, alcohol brief interventions, diet advice, etc.) through public health interventions and providing access to advice on non-health issues through signposting or hosting advice services.

In the longer term the NHS will need to meet the consequences of poorer health outcomes. The Scottish Public Health Observatory has been approached to identify measures that can be obtained to allow for the establishment of a baseline and longitudinal tracking of outcomes for health in communities significantly affected by welfare reform.

The Scottish Government has established a Health Impact Delivery Group that comprises representatives from across health, local government and third sector. This group is looking at evidence with the aim of producing advice on actions that NHS Boards can take in both the short and the longer term. This group will report into the Welfare Reform governance structure.

Personal Independence Payment: Jacqueline Brown

AGENDA ITEM 3: Matters Arising

AGENDA ITEM 4: Local Welfare Reform Updates

An update on action from health boards in response to welfare reform was given by those present. Within some board areas there is clearly a co-ordinated response in terms of awareness raising & training, benefit uptake campaigns, partnership working with local authorities & third sector, and welfare advice provision for staff & patients. Whilst other boards are struggling to identify resources and staffing to take this forward. Some boards have developed welfare reform action plans and these plans are available on the Scottish Public Health Network website – see www.scotphn.net

AGENDA ITEM 5: Next Steps & Summing Up

It was agreed that through HEDG information on welfare reform would continue to be circulated and ‘welfare reform’ would remain an item on the HEDG agenda for future meetings.

AGENDA ITEM 6: AOCB

In discussing a topic for the next meeting, Neil suggested an item on NHS HR and Organisational policy in terms of supporting the employability agenda. If possible HR directors could be encouraged to attend this meeting.

Date of Next Meeting: 29th May 2013, 11am to 2pm, Atlantic Quay, Glasgow.