Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health.

The Board were being asked to consider and agree the Public Health Dorset business plan and priority work programmes for 2022-23 and to consider developing the forward plan for the board based on the work
programmes included in Appendix B.

Significant work had recently taken place to clarify the role and purpose of Public Health Dorset, especially given the imminent changes with the formal launch of integrated care systems. In addition, the plan identified the top 10 work programmes following a prioritisation exercise, which would help align capacity and resources to delivery over the ensuing year.
Appendix A contains the main report, showing how we are organising our
work. Appendix B set out a high-level delivery timeline with more detail about
some of the programmes and outputs that would need to be delivered in this
financial year.

The Business Plan identified what Public Health Dorset did, how it did it what was to be achieved and what was needed to do this. The context was set as to what the obligations were: health improvement, health protection; Healthcare public health; and healthy places - and by what means these would be achieved: the aims, the mission, the vision and the objectives.

The Board considered there to be a need for this Plan to be widely disseminated so that not only were the public aware of what was being done, but so as to engage directly other public bodies – though the Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils – so this could readily be understood and publicised what these obligations were and so as to raise their profile as could be best achieved. On that basis the Board considered that the Plan should be given consideration when the DAPTC next had a briefing session with PHD/DC/BCP. Comms could play a significant part in facilitating this.

The Board elected members also recognised tht they had a role to play in promoting the business plan as they might.

The Board acknowledged the progress made in developing the business plan which they considered would achieve all that was necessary in delivering the desired outcomes for public health in Dorset, with the priorities identified being correct. On that basis they endorsed it. However, they understood that as it was a working document, it was flexible enough to be adapted, as necessary.

Resolved
1) That the Public Health Dorset business plan and priority work programmes for 2022-23 be agreed.
2) That the forward plan for the board based on the work programmes included in Appendix B be developed accordingly.

Reasons for Decisions

Recovery from the pandemic and the move to Living with COVID-19 has now allowed the public health team to take stock and consider priorities for the coming year. Previous attempts at finalising the business plan were hampered by a high degree of uncertainty, plus ongoing responsibilities for responding to COVID-19. Publishing the high-level plan, and an outline timeline showing key deliverables for our work for 2022-23 is an important step in delivering an effective service. This is because so much of our work relies on collaboration with other organisations in our system. The forward plan for the Joint Public Health Board can be populated over a longer time period based on this business plan. The business plan will be a key document in ensuring early Member engagement with the work of the team during 2022-23.