Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from N. Bradley, C. McEvoy-Carr, R. O’Farrell, G. Renner-Thompson, E. Simpson, P. Travers and J. Watson.

Minutes of the meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on Thursday, 9 December 2021 as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair. 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 9 December 2021, as circulated, be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair:

An update will be provided at the meeting on the epidemiology of COVID 19 in Northumberland, developments with the Council’s COVID 19 Outbreak Prevention and Control Plan.  Presentation by Liz Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Public Health and Community Services.

Members received an update on the epidemiology of COVID 19 in Northumberland, developments with the Council’s COVID 19 Outbreak Prevention and Control Plan, and Vaccination Programme.  Presentations filed with the signed minutes. 

Liz Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Public Health and Community Services, gave a presentation to the Board and the key points included:-

·            Trends in the seven day rolling rate per 100,000 population for infection episodes across the LA7 was very similar to the national rate with cases at a similar level to the week before Christmas.

·            ONS survey rates for the week up to 5 February 2022 estimated that 1 in 19 showed evidence of infection.  ONS had also surveyed for levels of antibodies in the population and in the week up to 10 January 2022 it was estimated that 98% of the adult population would have tested positive for antibodies.  This level was much lower in 8 – 11 year olds at 63-72%.

·            In Northumberland rates were decreasing across all age bands, however, cases remained high at 2,000+ per week.  The highest rates were in primary school children.  The high level of cases in the Druridge Bay ward was due to an outbreak at HMP Northumberland.

·            Targeted community testing was still being supported but there had recently been many changes to the guidance.   There were plans, nationally, to rationalise PCR testing sites.  Hopefully, the situation would be clarified in the Spring Plan which was due to be announced on 21 February 2022.

·            Regarding contact tracing, there was uncertainty about the responsibility for Local Authorities and funding beyond March 2022.

·            Omicron was less severe but the unvaccinated were eight times more likely to be hospitalised.

·            The unvaccinated/boosted were 8x more likely to be hospitalised that the vaccinated.  There had been a number of large outbreaks but, fortunately, cases were mainly mild or asymptomatic.

·            The situation was very different to 2021 in that there was the extensive vaccination and booster programme, extensive test and trace programmes, treatments and bespoke communications locally and nationally. 

·            It was possible that the end of legislative restrictions would take effect earlier than the planned date of 24 March 2022.

·            Covid may be considered endemic when it became highly predictable or the level of harm was accepted due to the difficulty in eradicating it.  Future waves of infection were to be expected and these would be determined by

·            New variants

·            Changes in number and age distribution of susceptible individuals

·            Seasonality

·            Extent of social mixing.

·            The pattern in the UK was likely to be temporary until the global disease distribution settled.  Covid could not yet be considered to be endemic.

·            Current priorities across the LA7 in included

·            equitable deployment of covid and flu vaccinations

·            continued encouragement of good infection prevention and control measures, hygiene, ventilation etc.

·            Coordinated Test, Trace and Isolate programme and management of outbreaks

·            Involving local communities and protecting vulnerable individuals

·            Monitoring and surveillance

·            Working on health inequalities

·            A number of issues would have to be considered such as the future of test and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

To update the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) of progress and plans for refreshing the statutory Northumberland Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) and agree the lower geographical level for assessment.

Members received an update on progress and plans for refreshing the statutory Northumberland Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) and to consider the lower geographical level for assessment.  Report presented by Liz Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Public Health and Community Services.

Members were informed that producing and publishing a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment was a statutory responsibility of the Health & Wellbeing Board in conjunction with the Northumberland CCG.  The PNA should be refreshed every three years, but the timeline had been delayed due to Covid.  It was expected the revised PNA should be in place by September/October 2022. A Steering Group had been established and work commenced in August 2021.  The Steering Group had agreed to use the previous CCG localities which split Northumberland into four areas, North, West, Central and Blyth.  A draft would be produced in April with the final draft being approved in September 2022.  The importance of later opening hours and holiday opening was stressed particularly for very rural areas in the North and West of the County.

RESOLVED that

(1)     the plan and proposed timelines for the statutory review of the PNSA be supported.

(2)     the use of previous CCG localities as the geographical basis of the PNA be approved.

To receive an overview of the work carried out under the multi-agency arrangements for Safeguarding Adults in 2020/21.  (Report from Karen Wright, Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults.)

Members received an overview of the work carried out under the multi-agency arrangements for Safeguarding Adults in 2020/21 and an overview of the work by the Northumberland Strategic Safeguarding Partnership 2020-21.  Reports presented by Paula Mead, Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board and NSSP Independent Chair.

Safeguarding Adults

The North Tyneside and Northumberland Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) had been forced to adapt very quickly during the Covid pandemic and change its way of working.  A range of measures and assurance frameworks had been introduced to promote multiagency working arrangements and monitor and mitigate areas of risk and concern.  During 2020/21 Northumberland experienced a 40% increase in safeguarding concerns and 14% rise in safeguarding enquiries.  The location of the main area of increase was in peoples own homes and linked to lockdown restrictions.  Locally, the trend had be in episodes of domestic abuse, physical abuse and self neglect.  There had also been an increase in safeguarding concerns relating to isolation, mental health and wellbeing.  Most referrals had been made by the Police and this was a similar picture nationally.

The Multi-agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASHs) had operated successfully and was unique in that it was an integrated adult and children’s MASH.  It had been a very positive arrangement, and this had been noted nationally.  It had enabled very difficult transitional issues of vulnerable children moving into adult services to be tackled.  There had been no Safeguarding Adult Reviews undertaken in Northumberland.  However, there had been a joint learning review with the Children’s Service within Northumberland.

Key highlights of the Board’s work had been a focus on themes such as Transitional Safeguarding, Vulnerable Dependent Drinkers Project, Channel arrangements and updates, criminal exploitation and the local experience of Operation Momentum.  Covid had been the overarching priority and had impacted on all of the Board’s work. 

There had been an independent review in which the joint North Tyneside and Northumberland Board had been valued and was working quite well.  All of the partners felt, and was probably exacerbated by covid, that there needed to be more focus on Place.  From April 2022, it had been agreed to separate the two Boards.  Northumberland was very keen to join up and integrate the Adults’ and Children’s Boards much more robustly.  This had not been possible whilst working with North Tyneside.

Safeguarding Children Board

Paula Mead reported that local Safeguarding Boards had been disbanded a few years ago and the new arrangements had strategic partners with equal responsibilities for safeguarding children.  These strategic partners were the Local Authority, Police, Northumberland CCG.  Other partners such as health, schools and voluntary organisations still had a role to play in safeguarding children.  Partnership working in Northumberland was very much a strength and had come into its own over the period of the pandemic.  There was still work to be done to solidify the new arrangements and development work had been done with the partners.  It had been identified that the adults and children’s arrangements should work more closely together.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

To note/discuss details of forthcoming agenda items at future meetings; the latest version is enclosed.

It was noted that the Health Inequalities Summit would be held on 25 March 2022 and invites would be issued soon.

It was requested that the following be added to the Forward Plan

·            An update on the progress with ICS was requested for the next meeting.

·            Child Death Overview Panel Annual Report

RESOLVED that the forward plan be noted.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 10 March 2022, at 10.00 a.m. at County Hall, Morpeth.  

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 10 March 2022, at 10.00 a.m. in County Hall, Morpeth.