Decision details

The Director of Public Health has a statutory duty to prepare an Annual Report each year on issues affecting the health of the Sefton population.  Currently the statutory accountability for public health remains with the NHS but the Council will take over this duty from April 2013.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health on the 2012 Public Health Annual Report, which provided an overview of the health of the population of Sefton, described work currently being completed and made recommendations about future priorities to improve health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities in Sefton.

The 2012 Public Health Annual Report, “Protecting the Health of Sefton”, focused on an area of public health that is often not very well understood, that of health protection.  This area of public health was concerned with protecting the local population from disease and disability.  The report included chapters relating to key areas of health protection including screening, vaccinations and immunisations, sexual health, the control of communicable diseases and the environment.  A number of key priorities for future work were also identified in the report.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Decision Made:

That the Public Health Annual Report 2012 be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

The report highlighted proposals for improving health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities in Sefton.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.