Ruth Harrell (Director of Public Health) introduced the Annual Health Protection Assurance Report 2021-22 to the Board, and highlighted that:

a.     The H&WB had a legal duty to consider the Annual Health Protection Assurance Report within its statutory duties;

b.     The data contained within the report was now relatively old as it was a lengthy process to collect, interpret and analyse the data, construct a report, and then schedule the report as an agenda item for consideration;

c.     This report provided assurance that there was an adequate health protection system across Devon and Cornwall that considered communicable disease and environmental hazards, immunisation and screening, and healthcare associated infections.

The Board commended the prevention programmes and assurance detailed within the report and thanked staff for their hard work and successes, particularly during the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Board agreed to note the report.