Agenda item

Dr Rupert Suckling introduced to Council, the Director of Public Health Annual Report for 2018, which was delivered as a short video which would be made available online, and was supported by 2 standalone documents.  The document entitled ‘No health without mental health’ supported the video and the second document entitled ‘Public Health Annual Report 2018’, provided an update against the recommendations from 2017.

It was reported that this is the fourth annual report authored by Dr Suckling, but this year’s report was different as it focused on a particular topic.  Dr Suckling explained that he had been able to do this as the Council now had the State of the Borough report, describing the overall picture of the Borough, and the Public Health function which was well embedded in Council finance and performance management processes.

Members were informed that the focus for this year’s report was ‘No health without mental health’; this was the combination of feeling good and functioning effectively, and was different from mental disorder that included mental illness, leaning disability or personality disorder.  Mental disorders and mental illness in particular, had been reviewed this year by both the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Doncaster Health and Wellbeing Board.

Members noted that even if people had a mental disorder, mental health could be improved and that the three key factors which improve or create mental health were ‘our circumstances, our resources and the activities we focus our time on’.  The report concentrated on ‘the activities we focus our time on’ and the 5 ways to wellbeing which were:-

·           Learning;

·           Connecting;

·           Being active;

·           Giving; and

·           Taking notice

Dr Suckling hoped that Members in the Chamber obtained an indication of the 5 ways to wellbeing in action and the way the Council was changing to support these approaches. 

In conclusion, Dr Suckling outlined the following 4 new recommendations which were detailed within the report:-

·             Create, improve and protect mental wellbeing using the five ways to wellbeing to harness the role of arts, culture and physical activity, promote social connections and contribute to inclusive economic growth and the reduction of health inequalities.

§   DGT and the focus on inclusive growth; Get Doncaster moving and culture, were all in the right direction.

·             Doncaster Council and partners should sign the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health as an indication of support for the mental wellbeing of both Doncaster people and Doncaster employees.

§   Doncaster Health and Wellbeing Board signed this last week

·             Suicide was the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and today, 16 people would take their own lives which was why Dr Suckling was keen that in Doncaster, the Council pledge to become a zero suicide Borough and that the Council always asked twice when it was talking to people and asking about their mental health.  This should be backed by rolling out Mental Health First Aid training across the Borough.

§   Suicide prevention strategy

·             Continue to deliver mental health service improvements across the life course with service users as identified by Overview and Scrutiny reviews including:-

§   improving the mental health of parents at the time of the birth of a new child;

§   improving children and young people’s mental health by responding quicker to all requests for support;

§   improving responses to crisis including better use of peer support;

§   reducing the need for and use of Out of Area placements;

§   Improve employment support for those with mental health issues to help them stay in work or return to work.

RESOLVED that Council note and publish the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2018.