Combatting loneliness and isolation and ensuring local people are more connected will be a key area of discussion at the 16th July Health and Wellbeing Board meeting.
The Campaign to End Loneliness has awarded Bath and North East Somerset its ‘Gold’ standard for commitments expressed around reducing loneliness.
The Board is keen to now explore this commitment and work with local groups and organisations to consider what else can be done to further connect our local people and communities.
Pat Foster (Healthwatch B&NES), the Health and Wellbeing Board member lead on this priority, said: “Our social environment plays an important part in our health and wellbeing, particularly amongst our aging population and, as a Health and Wellbeing Board, we have identified this as an area where we want to make a difference”.
Also up for discussion at the July meeting is NHS England’s recent invitation to clinical commissioning groups to become more involved in the design and buying of primary care services.
Dr Ian Orpen, Vice Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Chair of NHS BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We welcome this development as an opportunity to help ensure that health services are designed in the most appropriate way for local people in Bath and North East Somerset.”
Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset will also be using the meeting to present their annual report which sets out a summary of their first year of activity.
This includes an overview of the key issues and concerns that they’ve been hearing so far as well as their work plan for the coming year. To find out more about their annual report, visit their website: www.healthwatchbathnes.co.uk
Finally, the Health and Wellbeing Board will also be hearing more about the upcoming legal changes taking place this September on special educational needs (SEN) and disability.
The reforms, some of the biggest changes to SEN and disability provision in 30 years, will transform the way support is provided, focusing on enabling children with SEN or disability and their families to achieve their long term aspirations.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, which will be taking place on Wednesday 16th July (10am-12noon) in the Brunswick Room, Guildhall, Bath.
People are also encouraged to watch the meeting online through a live webcast as well as get involved and pose related questions directly to the Health and Wellbeing Board ahead of the meeting via the Council’s Twitter feed @bathnes using the hashtag #HWB.
