Chair's Report
PROF ANDREW HORNBLOW, CHAIR
PEGASUS HEALTH COMMUNITY BOARD
From L-R: Wendy Dallas-Katoa; Rob Earle; Sandy Brinsdon; Helen Lockett; Prof Andrew Hornblow (Chair); Peter Laloli; Michael Aitken; Peter Townsend.
The Community Board’s third year was a busy and challenging one as we continued towards our goal of improving health outcomes for our community. We were informed by presentations from local health leaders and took the opportunity to provide feedback to inform the direction of their work. The collaborative approach in working with others continues and we were mindful to ensure our objectives and work programme were aligned with those of Pegasus Health, Pegasus’ Clinical Board and the Canterbury Clinical Network.
Five members of the Board, who are nominated from across the Canterbury community, bring to our discussions a wealth of experience, wide networks and decades of committed community service. In addition, the three Board members who are Chairs or their representatives of the three reference groups, help us take into account the goals of our Māori, Pacific, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) populations to improve the health of these communities.
The Community Board has adopted child and youth health as a priority and a highlight this year was the appointment of a Health Promotion Specialist. The key objective of the role is to build on past work that was focused on improving the health of our children and young people. Much progress has been made in broadening and strengthening relationships across the health and education sectors, so that we might achieve better outcomes for future generations. The strategic document Healthy Lives: Healthy Weight for Children was adopted at our joint December meeting with the Clinical Board. Work continues on achieving the goals set out in the strategic work plan, which focus on both service delivery and regional and national policy initiatives. We were pleased to have the document endorsed by Professor Boyd Swinburn, who attended this meeting.
In addition to the focus on child and youth health, the Community and Clinical Boards are jointly addressing issues around integrated care for people who have a mental health illness or addiction. The Equally Well and Closing the Loop national policy initiatives have both been endorsed. Bearing in mind that general practitioners, practice nurses, partnership community workers and others in primary care have an ongoing and valued role in providing quality health services within primary care for this population, the challenge remains as to how best to coordinate and integrate care. The Community and Clinical Boards are jointly involved in discussions to identify how primary care can best contribute to delivering quality mental health services.
During the year, the Board decided to take a more proactive advocacy role on major issues facing our community. A number of submissions were put forward either by the Community Board alone or in partnership with others, including the Clinical Board and Community and Public Health. These included:
- Adoption of a position statement and advocacy proposal to fluoridate water. We continue to work with others on this controversial issue in the context of Government’s stated intention to move responsibility for fluoridation from local governments to District Health Boards.
- A submission to the Productivity Commission endorsing the proposal to change delivery of social services to ensure they are more effective. This includes greater use of technology to advance service delivery in innovative ways.
- A submission put forward jointly with the Pegasus Health and Clinical Boards to the Advertising Standards Authority proposing advertising and marketing of unhealthy food to children be restricted. We expect to provide an additional verbal submission in coming months.
- Adoption of a position statement on Childhood Obesity. Together with the Clinical Board, we established a Child Obesity Working Group to look at ways to equip general practice to deal with the issue of child obesity. On this issue I was pleased to be signatory (along with a number of other Professors of Health and our Chair, Professor Les Toop) to a letter to the Minister of Health supporting a tax on sugary drinks. Advocacy in this area will continue.
- Supporting Equally Well and Closing the Loop initiatives to improve and better integrate services for those with a mental health illness.
To all Board members, a sincere thank you for your commitment and support which enables us to continue to move from aspiration to action.
On behalf of the Board, I would also like to extend our appreciation to all Pegasus staff who work with us. Thank you for your excellent reports and presentations, for imparting your knowledge of the health sector and the wider community, and for your strong and ongoing administrative support.
The Community Board looks forward to another year representing our Canterbury community and advocating for its interests at regional and national levels.