Agenda item

This report provides an update on the Local Outbreak Control Plan (LOCP) including the updated Health Protection Board Terms of Reference, the new legislative powers granted to the Directors of Public Health as described within the Contain Framework and the outcomes of and plans for stress testing the LOCP. This report also details the proposed public engagement strategy for the Joint Board fulfilling the role of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB).

Discussion:

The Director of Public Health, Medway introduced the report which provided the Joint Board with an update on the Local Outbreak Control Plan (LOCP) and detailed the proposed public engagement strategy for the Joint Board fulfilling the role of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB). He explained that the LOCP was the tool to manage outbreaks of Covid-19 and stress tests had been carried out across the Kent and Medway boundary. It was also confirmed that since the report had been published, the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board had met that morning and had agreed that the Joint Board should fulfil the role of the LOEB. As also agreed by Medway Health and Wellbeing Board at their meeting on 1 September 2020.

Members of the Joint Board then raised a number of questions and comments, which included:

·       Advice for school children with common colds – the point was raised that as winter approaches, children would be susceptible to catching coughs and colds.  It was therefore asked what communication was being provided to schools and parents to support them in differentiating between the symptoms of general coughs and colds and Covid-19, to help alleviate pressure on Covid testing and to prevent children missing more education than necessary. In response, the Director of Public Health, Medway explained that the communication cell was working hard with the response cell to create social messages and effective networks between the local authority and education leaders to help support schools. He also referred to a national helpline that was due to be launched imminently, which would be specifically for schools to manage such queries and would empower parents and schools to make appropriate decisions. This response was echoed by the Director of Public Health, Kent who explained that public health services were ensuring that communication was consistent.

·       Visiting arrangements in care homes – in response to a question about mobility of staff and visitors in care homes, both Directors of Public Health explained that there was a balancing act between ensuring the safety and welfare of care home residents and staff and their emotional and mental wellbeing, acknowledging how important the ability to see loved ones was for people.  However, risk was monitored closely in these settings and where necessary visiting and or new admissions would be restricted.

·       Work with universities – A question was asked about how universities were being supported to help protect both students and the residents of the communities in which university campuses are situated, given that students would be arriving at the campuses from all over the country and beyond in the coming days and weeks. The Director of Public Health, Kent responded by explaining that one of the stress test exercises had involved four universities within Kent and Medway.  The universities had each developed their own outbreak plans and were being supported to ensure local testing arrangements were in place, with testing sites being situated near most campuses. He also referred to the enhanced guidance for universities which had been provided by the Department for Education and added that work was also being undertaken with district local authorities to ensure licensed venues, popular with students, were sticking to social distance requirements.

·       Admittances to care homes – when asked if there was a guarantee that no one would be admitted to a care home with covid-19, the Director of Public Health, Medway explained that there were robust protocols in place to ensure that anyone discharged from hospital should be tested for covid-19 and an appropriate action plan put in place depending on the outcome of that test and recent data showed that this was working effectively.

·       Communication confusion – in response to a question about how the potential confusion of various public communication strands could be resolved, the Directors of Public Health both acknowledged this as a challenge. They added that the media cell worked on this strand with the Local Resilience Forum, to ensure clear and consistent messages were given to the communities of Kent and Medway.

Decision:

The Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board agreed the Local Outbreak Engagement Board public engagement strategy, as outlined in section 2.4 of the report.