Agenda item

This report provides an update on the Local Outbreak Control Plan (LOCP) including the outcomes of and plans for stress testing the LOCP.

Discussion:

Acknowledging that this report was prepared before the recent announcement about the national lockdown, the Director of Public Health provided an update on COVID-19 prevalence in Medway compared with the national picture. He referred to recent stress testing, set out in detail at paragraph 2.2 of the report and confirmed that the Domiciliary Care Stress Test had been completed. Whilst he recognised that there had been challenges in relation to access to testing, linked to national capacity issues, he considered that Medway was prepared to manage local outbreaks. A bid would imminently be submitted to access rapid testing kits.

Members raised several points and questions including:

·       BAME System Plan – it was considered important that health inequalities were reduced, and a request was made that the Board receive a further report on the issue. In response, it was explained that a programme of work, called turning the tide, was underway in Kent and Medway which looked systematically across the whole system to understand population vulnerabilities and provide targeted interventions. It was confirmed that the Board would consider a report on Theme 5 of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Reducing health inequalities at the next meeting (16 February 2020). In addition, the theme of this year’s Director of Public Health’s Annual Report was around health inequalities.

·       Track and Trace – asked how well the Track and Trace system was working locally and whether there was more the Board could do to help, referring to the most recent data, it was explained that Medway’s completion rate was 81%. Advice from Sage suggested that a figure over 80% was good and the level required to control the virus. Working in conjunction with Public Health England, the local Track and Trace system would commence next week, with training already completed.

·       Education settings – The Public Health team were thanked for their continuing work in education settings, particularly with school headteachers. This had helped teachers, parents and children feel confident retuning to schools after the initial lockdown period. Medway had exceeded the national expectations around attendance. As the locality moved into another lockdown period, it was anticipated that there would be a particular need for ongoing support and guidance from the Public Health team.

·       Care homes – recognising that individuals residing within care homes were a particularly vulnerable cohort of the community, the importance of the recent targeted engagement with care homes was recognised and commended. It was noted that through collaborative working, the funding for infection prevention and control was well utilised to improve access to PPE for providers and meet training needs in relation to infection prevention and control.

Throughout the discussion, it was generally acknowledged that whilst the prevalence of COVID-19 in Medway had been comparatively low and the response by the Council officers and its partners including the Kent and Medway CCG had been excellent, individuals ought not to be complacent and continued vigilance was needed. The Director of Public Health encouraged people to act accordingly if contacted by the Track and Trace teams and reiterated the importance of Hands, Face, Space.

Decision:

The Health and Wellbeing Board noted the update presented within the report and thanked all those involved both from the Council and the NHS.