Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made by Members in accordance with the code of conduct.

The Committee will be asked to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

Ruth Harrell (Director of Public Health) provides a COvid-19 update.  It was reported that:

·       the current position for Plymouth was 241.5 per 100,000 compared 382 per 100,000 in England.  The rate was continuing to fall in Plymouth and there was enough data to see this drop as a proper trend;

·       they were now seeing the new variant in Plymouth and the control measures were the same for this new variant and to continue with the new measures;

·       for people that have been vaccinated it takes 3 weeks for body to build up immunity.  How well the vaccine would stop the spread of the vaccine was still an unknown and need the science to catch up.

Questions from Members related to:

·       What more advice can you give to residential homes to help residents and staff to protect them from Covid?

·       What were the timescales on the changing of ppe?

·       What psychological support were staff receiving within the care home setting?

The Committee noted the Covid-19 update and gave their thanks to Ruth Harrell and the team for their work.

Ruth Harrell (Director of Public Health) provided an update on the winter flu vaccination programme.  It was reported that:

·       there has been an increase in the uptake of flu vaccinations;

·       there was a challenge delivering vaccinations in the schools and were undertaking targeted communications;

·       uptake for the over 65s was over 80%;

·       in summary have seen an increase in Plymouth and likely to be the best year we have seen for the uptake of the flu vaccination. 

Questions from Members related to:

·       Have more vaccines been procured and when does this period of vaccination end?

·       Was there any data on people killed by flu and/or killed by Covid?

The Committee noted the update on the winter flu vaccination.

Sarah Gooding (Policy and Intelligence Officer) was present for this item and referred to the report in the agenda pack.

Questions from Members related to:

·       The Department of Health’s announcement on the vaccination programme and what was the perspective of the policy officer on working with local councils?

·       Priority groups for vaccinations and were teachers included?

·       600 million upgrade and any of the Plymouth facilities within that programme?

The Committee noted the Policy Brief update.

Rob Sowden (Senior Performance Officer) was present for this item and referred to the report in the agenda pack.  It was reported that:

·       there was a strong system approach to dealing with outbreaks;

·       positive performance on outcomes for people using our services over the last 12 months and includes people that have receive enablement;

·       adult safeguarding inquiries continues to be above the benchmark in comparison to other local authorities.

Questions from Members related to:

·       Adult safeguarding outcomes – people not asked increased to 28%? Was this the patient or the family?

·       Covid outbreaks within the domiciliary care setting and staff entering the home to provide care and safety of the patient and the staff?

·       What were the figures on people that employ their own personal assistants?

·       Whether packages of care were sufficient?

·       What was the impact of people not going into care homes because of Covid-19?

The Committee noted the Integrated Performance Report and requested a briefing paper on care home settings and ensuring people feel safe within their own when receiving care.

Darryn Allcorn (Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Devon CCG and Senior Vaccination Officer) was present for this item and referred to the report in the agenda pack.  It was reported that:

·       the vaccination programme has moved at pace with 86,000 vaccinations taken place across Devon since December;

·       in Plymouth all sites were up and running across the city with the hospital as a well-established hub.  Home Park opened on Monday to care staff and opened to the public yesterday;

·       they were working with NHS England for access to pharmacists;

·       accessing all care homes across the city to be completed by 24 January 2021;

·       the ambition to complete priority areas 1 to 4 by the 14 February and based on supply and capacity they were well on track to deliver that ambition.

Questions from Members related to:

·       the recruitment of volunteers and how successful this had been?

·       Where more volunteers needed?

·       What dialogue with the council to ensure that the best sites were being used?

·       Fear of needles and supporting this cohort of people and whether there was an alternative to needles?

·       The process of follow ups on failed appointments?

·       Where carers fitted into the timescales for a vaccination?

·       How do you ensure people were receiving the right messages with regard to the vaccination programme and reassure people locally on the protection between the vaccination and immunisation coverage?

·       How do people get to their vaccination that were registered at home and were unable to get out?

·       Vaccinations for nursery workers and teachers?

The Committee noted the Covid Vaccination Programme report.   It was agreed:

1.        To look at the priority list to include carers for vaccinations and to manage this at a local level;

2.        To seek the views and local knowledge from Ward Councillor on facilities that key stakeholders could consider for the vaccination programme.

(This agenda item was moved to facilitate good meeting management.)

John Finn (NHS Devon CCG) was present for this item and referred to the report within the agenda pack.  It was reported that:

·                 Elective system for Devon was above plan.  Diagnostics Devon system below plan but has now been corrected;

·                 outpatients was above trajectory but non face to face was below and needed to undertake further work to increase this;

·                 this position would deteriorate over the next 4 weeks with increased numbers in Covid patients and staff being moved from elective work to Covid work.

Questions from Members related to:

·                 What was meant by the lessening of PPE in theatres?

·                 Orthopaedic procedures and having to wait 52 weeks – how often were the waiting lists reassessed and priority changed?

The Committee noted the Restoration and Recovery of Service report and requested a further update at the meeting in March 2021.

The Committee discussed the work programme and items for inclusion on the work programme:

·       Scrutiny Management Board Mental to discuss mental health and CAMHS.

·       Dental health would be on the Health and Wellbeing Board agenda on 4 March 2021.  The Oral Health Needs Assessment when completed by NHS England to be circulated to all Councillors for comments/questions.

·       Invite Dr Paul Johnson, NHS Devon CCG to the March meeting to provide a response to the letter regarding GP practices.

·       Briefing paper on the Alliance Contract to be circulated to the committee.

·       Implementation of health and wellbeing hubs to be discussed in the next municipal year.

·       Completion of the vaccination programme and how the hubs could support this programme.