Rob Nelder (Consultant Public Health) delivered the ‘DPH Annual Report’ on behalf of Ruth Harrell (Director for Public Health), and highlighted the following key points-

a)    The DPH Annual Report normally focused on the previous year of the Thrive Plymouth programme. The past years programme (Year 6: Culture, Heritage and Health) had been put on hold due to the diversion of resources towards the Covid-19 response;

b)    Thrive Plymouth was adopted by Plymouth City Council in November 2014, and formed the city wide approach to reducing health inequalities and improving health and wellbeing, utilising three approaches:

                         i.        Population based prevention (If everyone made a small lifestyle change, there would be large cumulative effects);

                       ii.        Common risk factor approach (A singular unhealthy behaviour could lead to many adverse effects + Issues should be observed holistically);

                      iii.        Context of choice (The healthy behaviour isn’t always easy or encouraged).

c)    Thrive Plymouth was constructed based on four behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating & moving), that lead to four diseases (coronary heart disease, cancer, stoke, & respiratory problems), that were responsible for a large number (54%) of deaths in the city. Although mental wellbeing was not part of the initial construct, it is prevalent throughout Thrive Plymouth and is a significant component of personal wellbeing;

d)    The first case of Covid-19 was detected on Friday 13^th March 2020, shortly followed by the first national lockdown on 23^rd March 2020. This has had many impacts:

                      i.        Direct impacts: Infection with covid-19, short-term illness, Long-Covid, and deaths;

                     ii.        Indirect impacts: Impact on the four health behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating and moving), mental health, vulnerable groups, and peoples lived experiences;

                    iii.        Other impacts: Access to healthcare, income, school and education, access to the built and natural environment. 

e)    The Covid-19 Pandemic had particularly highlighted inequalities, discriminating through disproportionate effects on those with underlying health conditions, disability, lower incomes, & certain ethnic groups.

f)     A mental health needs assessment had been produced and presented to the Health & Wellbeing Board, which highlighted what was known nationally and locally about the impacts of the pandemic on mental health. The impact of the pandemic had been significant for mental health and had highlighted the importance of tackling mental in-health. Board members had previously signed up to Mental Health Concordat in recognition of this.

g)    Covid-19 was still present, with numerous variants and increasing cases. There was considerable economic uncertainty which was likely to further exacerbate inequalities. In May 2022, Thrive Plymouth Year 7 had been launched, specifically to regroup and retackle inequalities in the city.

The Board then discussed:

a)    Junk Food- Plymouth City Council had influence upon retailers as to what they sell, through the Planning Department and Place Directorate. The Joint local plan incorporated restrictions on hot food takeaways being opened within 400m of secondary schools. Any new applications for ‘fast food’ takeaways were scrutinised with regard to Public Health. It was difficult to influence what was sold once a takeaway has permission however, the Public Health team had been successful at restricting takeaways opening in parts of the city through the planning mechanism.

b)    Clinically vulnerable- Many people within the city, especially the ‘Clinically Vulnerable’ were uncomfortable returning to face-face as the country unlocks. The Public Health team were acutely aware of this issue and recognised the challenge of ensuring this group weren’t left behind. It was essential that society work collectively to recognise the struggle of this group. The Community Connections Team work had, and continued to work with vulnerable groups across the city.

c)    Pandemic Impacts- Future Thrive Plymouth years would likely focus on post-pandemic impacts such as ‘Long-Covid’, and those ‘shielding’. These issues could be incorporated into future years of the Thrive Plymouth Programme due to its adaptability and lack of a fixed agenda.

Abenaa Gyamfuah-Assibey (Advanced Public Health Practitioner) delivered the Thrive Year 7 Listen and Reconnect Report, highlighting the following key issues:

a)    The Covid-19 Pandemic had impacted people’s ability to live well, their way of working, and how they connect with people and spaces. People had experienced personal losses such as relationships, contact time, and trauma, and Thrive Plymouth Year 7 therefore needed to listen and reconnect with these people.

b)    While the pandemic had caused widespread difficulty and suffering, it had also inspired positive behaviours such as the strength and coming-together of communities, individuals own efforts to stay well & connected, and others which Thrive Plymouth Year 7 looked to capture.

c)    Thrive Plymouth Year 7 was launched online in May 2022 with a concerted effort to include health & social services, the voluntary sector, businesses, and schools. 

d)    Thrive Plymouth Year 7 was based on ‘offer & ask’.

Offer: Free training & workshops, resources & tips, Thrive Plymouth network meetings, support with ‘listening and reconnecting’.

Ask: Join the Thrive Plymouth network, attend training and workshops, promote safe spaces for conversation, share tips/ support, and take awareness sessions into local settings.

e)    The next steps for Thrive Plymouth were to bring the network back together and overcome challenges of changed ways of working, provide trauma informed approaches training, the health checks project, and continue collating people’s stories.

The Board then discussed:

a)    The Board recommended that additional training should be provided by the Public Health team for councillors to engage with the Thrive Plymouth programme, to enable them to be ambassadors for Thrive within the community. This was agreed to be incorporated into the councillor’s programme of personal development.

b)    Thrive Plymouth does not have a specific social media presence however, stories and messages are dispersed through trusted community organisations and partners who are more effective at reaching the community audience.

The reports were noted by the Board.