Progress for Health Strategies

Monday 26 November 2018

A Commission to coordinate public and government parts of "important public health strategies" has been registered as an official Bailiwick charity and also incorporated as a company.

The Health Improvement Commission is said to mark 'significant progress' in the healthy weight strategy - approved by the States in 2016 - and its start has seen a service level agreement signed between it and HSC setting out how they are going to work together.

And while it is not ready for total launch yet, its registration on October 8 is described as "a step in the right direction."

The Commission comprises public, private and third sector organisations and will be responsible for implementing elements of strategies commissioned by HSC like the Healthy Weight Strategy.  

This is in the same manner as the Youth Commission and the Sports Commission, both of which were formerly government services - it is intended that the Commission will also bring independent organisations under its umbrella, and will be able to raise part of its funding from non-government sources. 

Pictured: The commission was registered last month. 

The concept of such a body was established in that Healthy Weight Strategy, which resolved to instruct the Committee to investigate the creation of an independent body to bring together partners in the voluntary, commercial and public sectors to oversee the delivery of the strategy. This Commission is that body.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said it will also work on the Drug and Alcohol Strategy.

"The Commission will have a remit which will initially take on responsibility for the delivery of key parts of the Healthy Weight Strategy and the Drug and Alcohol Strategy. The existing funds allocated to these strategies have been transferred over to the Commission along with an additional £250,000 per annum of matched funding available for 2019, dependent on what the Commission is able to raise."

Stuart Falla MBE is the Chairman of the Commission. He said he was delighted at this positive step toward enabling it to start work.

"I am delighted that these positive steps forward enable the Commission to work jointly with the States of Guernsey to deliver two important health improvement strategies. We hope that, over time, the Commission will be in a position to support most of the health promotion aspects of other States-approved public health strategies."

Pictured top: Deputy Heidi Soulsby.