Agenda item - Presentation - Covid 19 , Update

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Agenda item

Presentation - Covid 19 , Update

Joint Presentation in order to provide up to date information.

Minutes:

6.1      A detailed joint presentation was given by the Director of Public Health, Alistair Hill and the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health, Data was shown regarding confirmed cases , estimated mortality and deaths in care homes over a preceding 3 month period. Details were given regarding measures put into place, continuing and the concerted focus being adopted going forward. Copies of the slide presentation had been appended as a supplement to the circulated agenda. Ashley Scarff of the CCG also highlighted the arrangements put into place by the NHS in Brighton and Hove and across Sussex and the on-going measures which it was anticipated were likely to need to continue and to be undertaken.

 

6.2      It was explained that operational teams had focused on integrated teams with heath colleagues to support NHS and community team with a focus on protecting ‘shielded’ residents whilst continuing to meet statutory responsibility (prepared for Care Act easements). A key function had been to co-ordinate advice and support to provider services and the wider care market and to support the safety of service users and staff including daily communications. This had involved complexity linking to PPE, testing, workforce concerns and admission arrangements. There had been provision of direct financial support to the care market which had included provision and distribution of PPE to meet the city’s demand and care home support plans. It had also been necessary to be responsive to incidents as they arose through a number of routes, key example being the Incident Management Team providing practical support to outbreaks in care homes and other settings; also the application of a care and protect for homelessness/rough sleepers.

 

6.3      The key issues and challenges had been:

 

          Keeping vulnerable people safe along with the safety of staff:

       Personal Protective Equipment

       Testing: track and trace still embedding

       Good hygiene practice – always

Reducing rate of community transmissions (incl Care Homes)

       Embedding delivery of the care home support plan that has been submitted to Dept Health & Social Care

       Even closer relationship between NHS, council and service providers (care homes/domiciliary care/supporting services)

       Managing the risks in adopting a measured approach to recovery and a future which incorporated the new “normal” in the post covid-landscape

       Restoration of services

       Financial risk to the council and the wider system

 

6.4      It was recognised that the PPE approach to likely to lead to an increase in community demand, schools etc and how we move from a crisis to a future ‘business as usual’ was key. There needed to be clarity around testing who, when, where and how including embedding trace and contact. A Local Outbreak Management Plan was to be set up under 7 and was being led by the Director of Public Health. The NHS was being supported in order to continue to meet the needs of patients with Covid and the needs of non-Covid patients. The NHS was open for non-Covid patients to access care too – through use of 111, primary care especially to deal with urgent symptoms and to support early diagnosis of cancer. Digital options would be used where suitable to support social distancing. There needed to be a measured approach to recovery maintaining multi-agency approach, joint working and use of a cell structure to ensure:

 

       Joint working between CCG and LAs/Public Health

       Integrated working across work-streams and systems

       Proactive responses, including fast-paced governance progress and quick decision-making

       Engagement with a new set of digital tools and ways of working

       Responsiveness and agility.

 

6.5      Brighton and Hove City Council and its partners had been at the centre of the local outbreak response interface with the NHS Test and Trace. The seven themes being addressed were:

 

·       Care Homes and schools

·       High Risk places, locations and communities

·       Local testing capacity

·       Contact tracing in complex settings;

·       Use of data including links with the Joint Biosecurity Centre

·       Supporting vulnerable people to self-isolate

·       Local governance including the Covid 19 Health Protection Board and Member led Board (potentially

 

6.6      It was recognised that going forward there was a need to lead pro-actively in managing uncertainty and that there would be new challenges to address and new opportunities which we would want to retain; there was potential for a refreshed Health and Wellbeing Board to play a critical future role. In terms of financial sustainability it was far too early for the full details in this respect to emerge but clearly the impact on the council and other system stakeholders was and would continue to be profound.

 

6.7      Following the presentation Members had the opportunity to ask questions. The Chair commended the work that had been carried out by all concerned as did other Board Members. Officers of the council and all partner organisations had been notified of the Government’s legislation and direction of travel at very short notice and had needed to be rapid and flexible in their responses and that was likely to continue to be the case. The post Covid landscape would be very different and the means by which recovery would be supported would be critical.

 

6.8      Councillor Shanks stated that she was pleased to note that work that had been undertaken with care homes besides providing accommodation for vulnerable residents those working there were at high risk, often being lowly paid, agency staff who were worked across several homes, could be poorly protected and could be reluctant to take time off-sick, due to financial concerns whilst being exposed potentially to multiple risk.

 

6.9      Councillor Bagaeen referred to the changing working landscape and the need to support emerging ways of working from home and co-working units as well as those returning to more traditional forms of employment.

 

6.10    RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be received and noted.

Supporting documents:

 


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