To publish the statutory annual report of the Director of Public Health on the health of people of Herefordshire as required by the Health and Social Care Act 2012;

To set out three priority areas for improving the health of the population and reducing inequalities in health that also address the Staying Healthy workstream priorities of Herefordshire’s Health and Wellbeing Board.  These are addressing inequalities in health outcomes in our most deprived communities, tackling alcohol harm to communities and families, and supporting informal carers’ health and wellbeing;

To ensure that the recommended approach and actions highlighted in the report will inform service development and commissioning aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the population of Herefordshire.

The report is required to provide the Director of Public Health’s view on important issues affecting the health of the population of the local authority and fulfil the requirement that the report is published by the local authority.  The recommendations have been made based on Herefordshire’s joint strategic needs assessment, Understanding Herefordshire, and in collaboration with Herefordshire’s Health and Wellbeing Board Staying Healthy priority.  Cabinet is asked to support the recommended approach and actions to improve the health and wellbeing of the county’s population.

There are no alternative options to receiving and publishing the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report as the Annual Report is a statutory requirement. If the Cabinet does not accept the recommendations, the implication would be that the Director of Public Health would not be able to carry out her duties to meet the proposed health and wellbeing outcome measures for Herefordshire.