Emailed to
Date: 26 October 2016
Dear Ms Abbott, MP
Our Response to your Freedom of Information Request : FOI 10849
Thank you for your request received on 28 September 2016. Please find response below:-
Question 1: Since the transfer of Public Health to Local Authorities in April 2013 have you been continuously employing a Director of Public Health? If not, please provide explain why you have decided not to employ a Director of Public Health;
Yes.
Question 2: If you have employed a Director of Public Health continuously since the transfer of public health to Local Authorities in April 2013, has this been jointly with another local authority? If so please provide the reasons why you decided to share your Director of Public Health with another local authority and confirm the current arrangements for the employment of your Director of Public Health;
The post is not jointly made.
Question 3: Has your Director of Public health been a first-tier officer within your local authority and what has their position been within the executive management structure of your local authority;
We do not use a ‘first-tier’ officer classification within the Council. The DPH is classed as a Statutory Chief Officer, but is not classed formally either as a Director or Lead Assistant Director in the Council’s Senior Management structure. Instead the post is rated under the Hay System as an Assistant Director level 1, at JNC point SM5 (£82,084-£87,084). DPH salary is augmented by a market supplement to a level in accordance with “point 1 on the Director/Executive Director’s salary scale” – this lies between Lead Assistant Director and the lower of the salaries paid to Executive Directors.
The DPH does not routinely attend the Directors’ Team, but attends for certain agenda items. The DPH routinely attends Director / Assistant Director meetings and other strategic meetings. In particular, the DPH sits on the ‘Accountable Officers’ group along with the most senior officers of local NHS bodies and the council. The DPH is now line-managed directly by the Chief Executive – previously this was via a combination of the Director of Wellbeing Care and Learning and the CE.
Question 4: on how many occasions since April 2013 have recommendations made formally to your Executive Board by the Director of public health not been approved?
We have had no occasions of such conflict.
Question 5: what is your estimate of total funds needed in your area for mental health services and will you provide a full list of all the mental health services you plan to commission from the funds allocated to your local authority for public health for 2016/17 and 2017/18?
Mental health services are commissioned by the CCG and NHSE, and we would refer you to those bodies with regard to this question. During 2015-16, some Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services were temporarily funded from the PH grant, to facilitate reconfiguration of the local service. We dedicate some staff time to promoting good mental health and intend to continue developing this, though primarily through a ‘health in all policies’ approach – that is, through supporting workplace health, mental health in services for children and young people, services for substance misuse and so on.
Question 6: what is your estimate of total funds needed in your area for sexual health services and will you provide a full list of all the sexual health services you plan to commission from the funds allocated to your local authority for public health for 2016/17 and 2017/18?
During 2016/17 the Local Authority has commissioned the following sexual health services:
- Integrated Sexual Health service (CASH)
- Integrated Sexual Health service (Psychosexual)
- Integrated Sexual Health service (GUM)
- Teenage Kicks
- Teenage Conception
- West End Youth Enquiry Service
- Youth Worker for Sexual Health
- People at risk of sexual exploitation
- Chlamydia Screening Office
- Chlamydia Screening tests
- Sexual Health Nurse for People with Learning Disabilities
- Sexual Health Training for people with Learning Disabilities-Love Life
- HIV Support Services
- Emergency Contraception
- LARC provision from Pharmacy
- Implanon
- IUCD Fitting and Removal
The total cost of these services in 2016/17 is £5,992,880
In 2017/18 we will put in place a new Integrated Sexual Health service which will incorporate:
- Integrated Sexual Health service (CASH)
- Integrated Sexual Health service (Psychosexual)
- Integrated Sexual Health service (GUM)
- Chlamydia Screening Office
- Chlamydia Screening tests
- Sexual Health Nurse for People with Learning Disabilities
- Emergency Contraception
- LARC provision from Pharmacy
- Implanon
- IUCD Fitting and Removal
We will also continue to commission the following services during 2017/18 :
- Teenage Kicks
- Teenage Conception
- West End Youth Enquiry Service
- Youth Worker for Sexual Health
- People at risk of sexual exploitation
- Sexual Health Training for people with Learning Disabilities-Love Life
- HIV Support Services
The total cost of these services in 2017/18 is £4,175,194
Question 7: what is your estimate of total funds needed in your area for smoking cessation and will you provide a full list of all the smoking cessation services you plan to commission from the funds allocated to your local authority for public health for 2016/17 and 2017/18?
There is no clear definition of what is ‘needed’ in smoking cessation. We commission a Stop Smoking Service through Lifeline at a cost of £250k per year. In addition, we fund NRT and cessation-related drugs via a Patient Group Directive and voucher scheme. We have paid some prescribing costs to the CCG for general practice engagement in SSS and fees to practices as part of a Local Enhanced Payment scheme, but propose to cease this under a proposed new agreement with the local NHS on smoking cessation. Over and above this, we fund tobacco control support via Fresh: Smoke Free North East in conjunction with our partner Councils across the North East. If anything, we would expect to increase expenditure on smoking cessation and tobacco control with a view to addressing, in particular, smoking rates in pregnancy and for vulnerable groups.
Question 8: what is your estimate of total funds needed in your area for Child and Adolescent health services, including those aimed at tackling the growing problem of childhood obesity, and will you provide a full list of child and adolescent services you plan to commission from the funds allocated to your local authority for public health for 2016/17 and 2017/18?
During 2016/17 the Local Authority commissioned the following services in relation to childhood obesity from the Public Health Budget:-
- West Change for Life
- Health Trainer and Match Fit Families for West and East Change 4 Life programmes
- East Change 4 Life including Women Get Set Go
- East Change 4 Life
- Seed 4 Life
- Youth Worker for Obesity Prevention
- Dance Provision in Schools
- Obesity Prevention Cook
- Early Years Health Trainers
- Dietetics
The total cost of these services in 2016/17 is £396,164
It is the intention to commission the following services in relation to childhood obesity from the Public Health Budget during 2017/18
- West Change for Life
- Health Trainer and Match Fit Families for West and East Change 4 Life programmes
- East Change 4 Life including Women Get Set Go
- East Change 4 Life
- Seed 4 Life
- Youth Worker for Obesity Prevention
- Dance Provision in Schools
- Obesity Prevention Cook
- Early Years Health Trainers
- Dietetics
The total cost of these services in 2017/18 is £396,164
Question 9: Please provide a full list of all the public health services you anticipate that you will be able to fund from the funds allocated to your local authority for 2016/17 and 2017/18; and do you expect to have adequate resources to meet local need in all of the aforementioned areas of public health?
Rather than detail every contract (which would run to several pages), the public health services commissioned by the local authority may be summarised thus:
- Drug and alcohol prevention and treatment
- Sexual health services
- 0-19 provision (health visiting and school nursing)
- Tobacco control and smoking cessation
- Better health at work
- Obesity management and prevention
- Food policy development
- Physical activity promotion
- Falls prevention
- NHS Health Checks
- Support review and challenge to Section 7a programmed services
- Action on seasonal mortality and morbidity
- Mental health public health
- Development of a wellbeing and health oriented parks and leisure offer
- Provision of the core offer to the local CCG
- Action to promote active travel (in particular, cycling promotion)
- Development of links with arts and culture as contributors to wellbeing and health
These will be delivered within the public health grant as it is currently projected (as per the 2015 Spending Review). However, the question of ‘adequate’ resources begs that of what constitutes ‘adequate’? Ideally, the council would wish to invest further in areas that would address early years and wider determinants of health to a greater extent. Marmot’s proposals for investment to address inequalities in health would imply a higher level of spend in an area such as ours, but that is a question of long-term national allocation and support rather than a short-term question of local allocation.
In doing this the council will commission the full range of mandated public health services.
If you are unhappy with our response to your request you can ask for an internal review of our decision. Please send details of your request for review to the following address:
Information Governance Coordinator
Newcastle City Council
Room 308
Civic Centre
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8QH
Phone: 0191 277 7666
Email:
If you are still unhappy with how we have handled your request following our internal review you can complain to the Information Commissioner. Contact details are as follows:
Information Commissioner’s Office
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Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
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Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team