Public Health Report (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Public Health Report

June 22, 2010 12:00 AM
By Cllr Zoe Patrick in Cabinet

I always look forward to our Director of Public Health's report and I am never disappointed by the key messages and challenges which are contained inside. However, I am keen to make a few points.

We are told every year that the 'demographic time bomb' will be removed and replaced with 'challenge' or another expression, but every year it creeps back in. However, it must be said that dementia and alcohol are not new threats, having been around for some time, but only being addressed here with due seriousness in this latest report. Obviously I am pleased that we are taking these matters seriously, but some councillors have been raising the matter for some time now. I am also pleased to see the section on Caring for our Carers which, again, has been a subject dear to many councillors and it is good to see that some work has now begun on this at last.

What may become an issue in the future is food additives, and it may well be something which needs flagging up now for the future, especially the high usage amongst young people these days.

I was interested to read the section on Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation, because this was the subject which sparked our themed debate last year, and I am pleased to see that some work is now being done and action being taken to deal with what is a huge challenge for Oxfordshire, and indeed the whole country! One can only hope that the decrease in any funding which has been channelled into this project won't affect the work which is going on there.

Inequalities in attainment by schools was another interesting section, and again the subject of another themed debate in Council, and one can read all manner of things into those statistics. Very useful to see.

We welcome the section on mental health and pleased to see that there has been some progress made here to tackle what is becoming an increasing problem. I think the good thing is that with some high profile cases nationally it has raised the game for us and we do have to take this seriously at last.

So all in all, a good report which we can welcome and look forward to seeing the real work begin.