Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing submitted a report which analysed attempts to establish whether or not rural isolation impacted negatively on the health of East Herts residents and which set out a direction of travel for the future.  Officers provided a summary of the report and supporting Essential Reference Papers.

Members sought and were provided with clarification on a number of issues regarding the methodology of data collection and the hypotheses detailed in the report.  Although better transport in some rural areas was thought to be an issue, Members felt that transport generally was a County Council matter and not for consideration by this Committee.

Members supported the recommendations as detailed in the report, specifically:-

·        paragraph 1.6 (the establishment of a project steering group to work with external agencies);

·        paragraph 2.9 in terms of developing and supporting a multi-faceted approach based on a framework developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness and Age UK as now detailed;  

·        paragraph 2.10 that there should be greater involvement with the East and North Herts CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) in terms of how rural isolation could be addressed.  The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing agreed to liaise with the Chairman of Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on this issue; and 

·        paragraph 2.11 – i, ii and iv.  Members acknowledged that there was a bigger role to be played by Ward Councillors in terms of community involvement to help combat feelings of rural isolation and agreed that the approach taken be recommended to the Executive. 

RESOLVED – that the approach, as now detailed above, be agreed and recommended to the Executive.