Agenda item - Public Involvement

To consider the following items raised by members of the public:

(a)      Petitions: To receive any petitions presented by members of the public to the full Council or to the meeting itself;

(b)      Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12noon on the 14^th November 2024

(c)       Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 8^th November 2024

17(A)  Public Question Ken Kirk

17.1    Mr Kirk asked: According to their rules, a public question to the Sussex Integrated Care Board is permitted only if the question’s subject is on the agenda of their next meeting. It means that a member of the public who has an issue which s/he wishes to raise has to wait for the publication of the agenda. One is always disappointed. This clearly is a device to deter public interest. Would the HOSC ask the ICB to attend the next HOSC meeting to respectfully ask how it justifies its disregard of the tax paying public?

17.2    The Chair told Mr Kirk that she had contacted the Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) for a response and had received the following reply: we are committed to hearing from local residents and have a range of ways in which people can contact NHS Sussex. If someone has an issue with local health services, they can share an email, letter or call to our Contact Us team.  People are also able to formally send us a complaint and we will fully investigate, or they could join one of our engagement events listed on our website. Further to this, we also invite questions on areas being discussed at any of our NHS Sussex Board meetings. Members of the public are also able to ask questions at our Annual General meeting and hear responses direct from the Board. We would really encourage the person who shared this question to make contact with us and we will look into their concerns and come back to them as quickly as possible.

17.3    Mr Kirk asked a supplementary question, querying why the ICB held board meetings at locations across Sussex, but not in Brighton & Hove? The Chair agreed to have a response to this question provided. Sussex Integrated Board subsequently provided the following response:

NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board covers the whole of Sussex and is responsible for the health and care of the population across Sussex.

In line with this, we hold our NHS Sussex formal meetings in public across the whole of Sussex to visit local communities and engage with local people, rotating locations across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex throughout the year.

Last year, we held our May Board meeting in public in Brighton at the University of Sussex. Then in June it was held in Chichester, September in Eastbourne and November in Billingshurst.

For 2025, January’s meeting will be in Lewes and March will be in Burgess Hill, and we are in the process of making arrangements for venues for the remainder of the year. All dates will be published and shared on our NHS Sussex website.

17(B)  Public Question Mr Hill

17.5    Mr Hill asked the following question: I am an asthma sufferer and have been seen regularly by the GP asthma clinics the last fourteen years in Brighton; also by doctors and consultants.  At no point have I been given information about pollution and how it might affect my disease.  Studies show that around ? of asthma is caused by air pollution in similar cities.  35,000 residents have been given an asthma diagnosis.  Could better guidance and tools be provided by medical professionals in order to better inform patients and help them reduce their levels of exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution.

17.6    The Chair told members that she had contacted the ICB for a response and had received the following: “It is well recognised that poor air quality has a significant negative impact on asthma - and other chronic respiratory conditions - both on a population level, and for an individual. Sussex Health and Care supports measures to improve local air quality, for example, improving public transport accessibility and cost, banning smoking in public places, and offering a range of smoking cessation support.  Asthma and Lung UK have also campaigned widely these issues and have helped raise awareness on the negative effects of air pollution.

However, with regards to people’s asthma management, currently, there is weak evidence that altered behaviour - such as staying indoors on poor air quality days - leads to better asthma control. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has even commented that such advice may have harmful effects by reducing people’s activity levels and increase anxiety.  Such advice is therefore not universal practice in asthma management, i.e. regularly offered to patients, however, individuals may find the advice on the Asthma and Lung UK website helpful.”

17.7    Mr Hill asked a supplementary question, querying whether the ICB response to his question was sound as it appears to contradict recently published and updated national guidance. He asked that the Chair checked with ICB colleagues that they are working to the most up to date guidance. The Chair agreed to speak to the ICB about this.