Issue - meetings

Resolved: the committee noted the report and suggested that LARC uptake is something that the committee could revisit at a future meeting.

Damian Egan (Mayor) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

4.1       Life expectancy continues to increase across the borough for men and women, but there are still significant variations by ward.

4.2       The Health and Wellbeing Board is currently focusing on BAME health inequalities and has suggested that Lewisham CCG and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust jointly fund a project with the Stephen Lawrence foundation. A BAME mental health summit was also recently held.

4.3       Premature deaths from heart disease have decreased in line with the rest of England, but there is no data on heart disease deaths by ethnicity in Lewisham.

4.4       The British Heart Foundation has found that stroke rates are highest in people of black ethnicity; that coronary heart disease rates are highest in south Asian populations; and that black, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladesh men have considerably higher prevalence of diabetes than the general population.

4.5       Uptake of cancer screening in the borough continues to be a concern. Rates are stable but fall significantly below national averages and target levels.

4.6       The revised contract between the CCG and GP practices requires GPs to increase screening rates for cervical cancer and to directly follow up on non-responders to bowel cancer screening invitations.

4.7       Flu immunisation uptake is stable but still below the national average and target levels.

4.8       The number of people smoking continues to decrease and is currently in line with London and England averages.

4.9       Chlamydia diagnoses have decreased but are still above the national average.

4.10    People presenting with HIV at late stage infection has increased but remains in line with the national average.

4.11    Lewisham has a relatively low proportion of eligible young women who are on Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Prescribing in general practice is very low compared to other boroughs. 40% of abortions in Lewisham are repeat abortions. LARC is a priority focus for the new Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham sexual health strategy for 2019-24.

Resolved: the committee noted the report and suggested that LARC uptake is something that the committee could revisit at a future meeting.