To receive a presentation on the submitted MacMillan Torbay Community Engagement Project Report.

Abi Gascoyne from Engaging Communities South West presented the submitted MacMillan Torbay Community Engagement Report and presentation, circulated information packs on the project to Members of the Sub-Board and responded to questions.  Pat Teague, Trustee from Engaging Communities South West also attended the meeting for this item.

The Board raised the following questions:

·                what support was there to help cancer patients towards purchasing wigs and other items e.g. blankets (as they feel the cold more) and what support was there for families and children;

·                what work was being done if the schools were not picking up support for the children and family members;

·                the findings showed that LGBTQ+ experienced health inequalities, what was being done about this;

·                family history of cancer did not seem to be mentioned, was there a reason for this;

·                there was a difficulty in the language used regarding deprived communities as some people do not deem themselves as being socially deprived, how was this quantified; and

·                many people were unable to see their GP and there was a move towards pharmacies, what happens with this report now.

Ms Gascoyne provided the following responses:

·                The Lodge at Torbay Hospital has a wig fitting service.  As part of preparing the report it was clear that most people knew about the services provided by the Hospital and that the support was well received.  The report focussed on community-based support services.  The overall feeling from children and families was that there was no community support for children and family members affected by cancer treatment or bereavement.  They relied on existing services through schools and counselling.

·                This was a two-year project with the findings being submitted to MacMillan and it was hoped that something positive would come out of the report.

·                Engagement was required to understand how sexual orientation and gender could impact on cancer.  There were higher rates nationally, but the project was focussing around if there was specific support for people.  There was a national charity to support LGBTQ+ but nothing specifically in Torbay.  There was not a lot of feedback received from the LGBTQ+ community.  It was acknowledged that they were a closed community and tended to keep themselves to themselves.

·                History of family members was not part of the research as the focus was around health inequalities and barriers accessing health systems in general.  A written response would be provided on the numbers of people who responded to the survey from each targeted area.

·                The deprivation areas were calculated using the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and people’s post codes where they provided them.  There could not be 100% guarantee that the feedback had come from deprived areas.

·                It was acknowledged that there were wider difficulties than just getting GP appointments, there were also issues with different communities accessing services in Primary Care and appointments with translators being cancelled at short notice.  The report had been sent to all stakeholders and networks including the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS and has gone back to MacMillan.  Some funding had been held back to look at the impact of Co-design of services with Learning Disability Ambassadors going back in September to evaluate and produce a short report.

Members welcomed the report and thanked Ms Gascoyne for her presentation.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.       that the short report on the impact of the Co-design of the Learning Disability campaign be circulated to all Councillors once it is published in September; and

2.       that Ms Gascoyne, Engaging Communities South West, be requested to provide a written update on the impact of the implementation of the recommendations within MacMillan Torbay Community Engagement Project Report.