A verbal update to be provided at the meeting.

Barry Causer introduced the report.

In June, the board was given two options and the board requested that both options were implemented.

The four themes were now confirmed and were Holistic Support, Individual and Community Prevention, Healthy Place and Workforce and Awareness, Learning and Collaboration.

Holistic Support would imbed air quality alerts into health and care pathways. This would be done via text message, for example, if a person had asthma, they would get a text message in the morning to inform them that the air quality was poor and explain what they needed to do. They were in discussion with colleagues from primary care to help promote their resources. Another consideration was to switch asthmas inhalers to versions that were greener, healthier to the environment, cheaper and still as effective as previous versions.

Individual and Community Prevention looked to increase awareness of the smoking services available and how they could best support frontline workers who go into people’s homes.

Healthy Place and Workforce looked at staff travel planning, with a draft plan currently in place. A School Air Quality Pilot was to be implemented which gave some young people in the borough a personal air quality monitor. This would allow the team to better understand air quality whilst at home, whilst they travelled to school and whilst at school.

Awareness, Learning and Collaboration looked at aligned communication and engagement around vaccinations. Resources and teams were in place to promote the messages and evidence based interventions.

Continued learning remained important and they planned to implement actions to set up a community of practice.

In response to questions, the following was stated:

•         The Childrens Trust Board met to look at the matters which were of concern to young people and there was a good strand in the children’s and young people plan around My Merton.

•         Anna Huk (Young Inspector) informed the committee of a new project within the public health team call The Stop Vaping in Merton which explored why some people chose to vape, why they returned to vaping and further understanding on how, as a community and local authority, to encourage young people to stop vaping whilst also looking at the behavioural element. Conversations continued to take place with providers to ensure as many young people were represented such as those from SEND backgrounds and those home schooled.

•         A further update on the air quality pilot rollout would be provided to members.

•         The association of Public Health sent representations to central government to address concerns of young people vaping. It was illegal to sell vapes to those under 18 years old and they still did not know the long term impact of vaping, but short term impacts included nausea, headaches and dizziness. For adults who smoked for a long time, vaping was still recommended as harm minimisation.

•         Work with trading standards continued to take place to help to prevent the sale of vapes to under 18 year olds but more was needed.

•         Work alongside waste colleagues was taking place with the view to run a pilot of recycling disposable vapes within the borough, until such a time when disposable vapes may be banned.

RESOLVED: That the Board noted the report.