Agenda item - Joint Strategic Needs Assessment programme annual report and update 2025

Report of the Director of Public Health (copy attached).

30.1    This item was presented by Louise Knight, Senior Public Health and Research Specialist, and by Dr Nicola Lang, interim Director of Public Health.

30.2    Ms Knight told the Board that it was proposed that the current 3 year Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) programme be extended for a further year. The membership of the JSNA Steering Group has recently been extended to include more partners involved with wider determinant issues such as transport. Other recently delivered work includes analysis of Health Counts data, including a recent HWB development event; development of a new communication plan; website refresh; and a greater focus on co-production with local communities. Going forward, priorities include using Health Counts data to develop area profiles, and completing the SEND, neurodiversity and learning disability needs assessment.

30.3    Cllr Alexander asked for more information about the Community Research Project. Ms Knight responded that public health is working with the Hangleton & Knoll Project and the Trust for Developing Communities to develop this project.

30.4    Tanya Brown-Griffith commended the JSNA and noted how important it is that the ICB’s strategic commissioning intentions are underpinned by an understanding of health inequalities. Dr Lang agreed, stating that the team are working on developing a better understanding of how the wider determinants of health impact health inequalities and on developing neighbourhood level cuts of data to facilitate this. Much of this data is already available, but it is typically ordered by council wards and the ICB needs it at a neighbourhood level. Monica Fletcher commented that the system also needs to use this data to develop improvement metrics for the areas with the highest inequalities. This work needs to involve the communities, and this will require a bespoke rather than a standardised approach.

30.5    Jenny Preece noted that the recently developed University Hospitals Sussex Strategy had drawn on the Brighton & Hove and West Sussex JSNAs. Having data cut for neighbourhoods will be an important tool in delivering improvements, for example in terms of planning to reduce unnecessary admissions.

30.6    The Chair asked what the needs assessment priorities for the coming year were. Dr Lang replied that a detailed list was included in the report but that priority areas include TB, special educational needs & disability and Gypsy and Traveller health.

30.7    RESOLVED – that the Board notes the JSNA update and approves the updated proposed programme of needs assessments.