Agenda item

To receive a presentation by Liz Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Public Health and Community Services.

Members received a presentation from Liz Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Public Health and Community Services.

Liz Morgan highlighted the following key areas:-

·            Changing the way we manage the pandemic – There was still a high number of cases in the UK.  The pandemic would continue to take its course and it was important to expect the unexpected over the next 18 months/two years.  The high prevalence of COVID did not appear to be translating into high hospital admissions at the same levels as they had previously, however, hospitals were still under significant pressure.

·            Principles –

·            Encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice.

·            Protecting people most vulnerable to COVID-19

·            Maintaining resilience

·            Securing innovations

·            Changes to Testing – Free testing had largely ceased and was replaced by a more targeted approach

·            Testing for care – in hospitals, community and primary care, on emergency/unplanned admission, in advance of elective admission and on discharge into other care settings.

·            Testing to treat – High risk patients in the community – symptomatic testing to access treatment.

·            Testing to protect – symptomatic and asymptomatic testing in high risk settings such as NHS staff, care homes, social workers, hospices and detention settings.

·            Surveillance – The ONS survey was the main source of information currently and it was estimated that 1 in13 people had COVID-19 in the week ending 2 April 2022.  There was some evidence that the rate of increase was slowing.

·            The case rates were levelling off in some age groups but still increasing in others.  Some sectors not covered by the ONS survey were covered by the Vivaldi and Siren studies. 

·            Advice to the public

·            Living safely with respiratory infections including COVID-19 – get vaccinated, ventilation and fresh air, good hand and respiratory hygiene, choose to wear a face covering.

·            Guidance for people with symptoms of respiratory infection including COVID-19 – people with respiratory symptoms and high temperature or who do not feel well enough to work should stay at home if they can.

·            After positive test, stay at home for at least five days (if you can).

·            Follow guidance to minimise spread of COVID.

·            Advise against presenteeism.

·            Opportunities –

·            Good practice of COVID-19 vaccination programme to be applied to other vaccination programmes.

·            Build on infection prevention and control practices and processes built up during pandemic.

·            Pivot the role of the Health Protection Board to consider wider health protection issues.

·            Work across the LA7 and wider North East area re. goals, short to medium term priorities and next steps.

·            Communications

·            There had been a very successful programme based on behavioural insights.  Messages appeared to resonate with the public when they came from local NHS partners and the Local Authority.

·            Emphasis on keeping the message simple and consistent and explain why this shift was being made and nuanced for different communities.

·            Key Messages

·            Further waves were expected over the next few years, and it was important to be able to respond to these quickly with vaccination, mass testing and contact tracing.

·            Vaccination remained the main protection from severe disease and death and boosters would be required.

·            It was important to continue with basic hygiene measures which were effective in reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.

The following comments were made:-

·            There was no longer a statutory requirement to self-isolate but people were advised to do so if they felt unwell.  It was noted that many in less secure jobs or with less generous benefits packages may not be able to afford to do so.

·            There may be an opportunity to look at sickness benefit packages to see if they were still fit for purpose and to try to ensure that no-one was disadvantaged.  This was a matter for the Government.

·            The retention of the Health Protection Board and its widened remit was welcomed.  Gaps in the areas of immunisations, health care acquired infections and cancer screening affected some of Northumberland’s most deprived populations.  Some of the lessons learned through the pandemic could be applied to other programmes.

·            There were still higher than average staff absence rates within the Northumbria Trust.  COVID-19 was still putting an enormous strain on services and there was still a lot of activity that had not needed to be dealt with prior to the pandemic.

·            Anecdotally, it was believed that the infection was lasting for longer, even in fully vaccinated people and causing people to be quite unwell.  The impact of the virus did shift with each variant.

·            Recovery of services was being monitored very carefully and targets based on COVID-19 case numbers falling.  However, case rates remained high along with expectations of services

RESOLVED that

(1)     the presentation be received.

(2)     the COVID-19 Local Outbreak Control Management Plan be withdrawn.

(3)     The Health & Wellbeing Board’s role as the COVID-19 Control Board and Engagement Board be stood down.

(4)     The Health Protection Board be maintained with broader terms of reference to provide assurance across a wider range of health protection issues – infectious disease management, health care associated infections, immunisation uptake, cancer screening, surge testing and vaccination and future pandemic planning.