To agree the executive response to the recommendations from the spotlight review into dental health and childhood obesity for children families in Herefordshire.

The leader of the council and cabinet members expressed thanks to all those involved in producing the report, including members of the task and finish group, the children and young people’s scrutiny committee and the representatives of partner organisations.

The cabinet member children and families introduced the report and noted that it covered both the children and families and health and wellbeing portfolios. The review had been undertaken following concern regarding levels of tooth decay and childhood obesity in Herefordshire as evidenced in the joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) of 2017. The work and resulting report was a fantastic example of the contribution made by scrutiny. The recommendations made were considered and thoughtful, with the result that seven out of the nine recommendations to the executive had been accepted in their entirety, one had been partially accepted and only one rejected. The rejection and partial rejection were due to methodologies that needed to be established rather than any issue with the principles expressed.

The director of public health welcomed the focus on two important issues. She noted that while all individuals could take action and be responsible for their own health, the council was working with partner agencies through the health and wellbeing board, with schools and across the council to encourage positive steps such as improving access to healthy food and restricting access to unhealthy food.

The public health specialist highlighted a pilot project due to commence, working with overweight pregnant women. Other work already taking place included the public health nursing service handing out tooth brushing packs to parents of young children and continuing health advice at every contact with families. Services had excellent relationships with schools and it was hoped that the reintroduction of health education to the curriculum in September 2019 would further increase work with schools.

In discussion of the proposed response to the scrutiny recommendations cabinet members noted that:

·        there were mixed views about introducing fluoridation and how effective this might be in improving dental health;

·        there were two major water suppliers that served the county which could provide an opportunity to compare if one were to introduce fluoridation and the other did not, however as a rural county there were many properties with private water supplies and these would not benefit from fluoridation;

·        there were other ways the council could seek to improve dental health without introducing fluoride to the water supply such as supporting parents to ensure their children brushed their teeth;

·        the potential disbenefits to introducing fluoridation needed to be explored alongside any potential health benefits, it was agreed that the response to the scrutiny committee be amended to reflect this;

·        Herefordshire produced good, healthy food and it was important to educate people on how to prepare it, continuing work with schools was supported;

·        increased childhood obesity was storing up long term problems for the NHS;

·        while individuals were responsible for their own health, the council had a responsibility to promote public health, providing education and support to take positive steps;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39