Agenda and minutes

Venue: Microsoft Teams

Contact: Karen Strahan / Stephanie Lewis  Email: karen.strahan@devon.gov.uk / Email: stephanie.lewis@devon.gov.uk

Note: This meetings will be livestreamed - To view, please copy and paste the link into your browser - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YzI2Y2Q5ODctN2FiMC00ZDM4LTg1ZWYtNjkzZWYxNGNmOWI0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228da13783-cb68-443f-bb4b-997f77fd5bfb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b0735e0e-6faa-4f6a-91bb-917fd50284ca%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a 

Media

Items
No. Item

37.

Notes of the Previous Board Meeting pdf icon PDF 238 KB

Notes from the 15th February 2022

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The notes of the previous Board meeting on 15 February 2022 were endorsed.

38.

NHS Update

The Chair of the CCG to present on NHS pressures, admissions, hospitalisations and vaccines.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group presented to the Board data on NHS pressures, admissions, hospitalisations and vaccines.

 

Of note, he highlighted that:

 

·         positive cases were increasing (as in the Community) and whilst the severity of sickness was relatively low (only 4 patients in intensive care across the Trusts) this was impacting in terms of increasing staff absences (approximately 1000 off due to C-19) and clinically with patients separated into general wards (with C-19 protection measures) rather than in specialist wards and this also impacted in terms of increased numbers of delayed discharges;

·         the relatively low severity of sickness was a testament to the vaccine/booster programme but there was increasing pressures in terms of non-covid treatment, particularly within elective surgery; and more strict control of visiting times was still being maintained;

·         the general message was that the community should maintain good PH practice - facemasks, regular hand cleansing and social distancing - and the position would continue to be monitored; and

·         vaccine programme developments included provision of a second booster (after 6 months) for over 75s and the clinical vulnerable; and a vaccine offer for 5 – 11 year olds. 

 

39.

Urgent Items from the Health Protection Board

The Director of Public Health or their representative to report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Public Health advised that there were no urgent items for escalation from the Health Protection Board.

 

40.

Report / Presentation from the Health Protection Board

A Report from the Health Protection Board on current issues, data and matters for information. This presentation will also highlight the decline of testing regimes and the impacts of this.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a Report from the Health Protection Board on current issues, data and matters for information.

 

Of note: the significant increase in positive cases nationally, and locally the  higher rate against current national levels; differing rates according to age profile, the higher level of testing in Devon; no major increases in deaths since July/August 2021; and locally the higher infections rates in South Devon compared against Northern Devon.

 

The dashboard pages could be found here.

UK summary: Daily summary | Coronavirus in the UK (data.gov.uk)

Devon Dashboard: Coronavirus dashboard and data in Devon -

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Devon detailed age breakdown: Cases in Devon | Coronavirus in the UK

(data.gov.uk)

Interactive Map: Interactive map of cases | Coronavirus in the UK

(data.gov.uk)

 

 

41.

Local and National Updates

The Director of Public Health will update the Board on ‘Living with COVID’, contact tracing and testing.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Public Health updated the Board on ‘Living with COVID’ (published in February 2022), contact tracing and testing.

 

Points of note included:

·         the increase in cases 7 to 10 days following the return to school, the national cessation of contact tracing; the removal of the legal requirement for social isolation; and a recent Mygov survey which suggested that up to one third of people with symptoms would continue to go out to work despite PH guidance; another contributory factor to the increased rates was the reduction in testing within education settings for example and generally of people with no symptoms;

·         an example of infections in a care home of both flu and C-19 which was particularly challenging; and the continued support from PH for residential care/nursing homes to help control any outbreaks;

·         the PH message to live ‘safely’ with COVID; and

·         the continuing sequencing programme nationally to pick up any variants as quickly as possible, noting that the BA2 sub strain of Omicron was dominant in Devon (with the same interventions as before).   

 

 

 

42.

Future of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board

It is proposed that the Team Devon Local Outbreak Engagement Board continue for a further three months (3 meetings) and then be reviewed.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed that the Team Devon Local Outbreak Engagement Board would continue for a further three months (dates below) and then the position would be reviewed to include an option to increase frequency of meetings according to developments.

 

Dates agreed: 26 April (2 pm), 24 May (10 am); and 20 July (2.30 pm)

 

43.

Public Questions / Other Questions for the Board

Additional documents:

Minutes:

No questions were raised.

 

44.

Key Messages to be Communicated pdf icon PDF 204 KB

The Board and Head of Communications and Media to consider any key messages to be communicated.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board and Head of Communications and Media considered the key messages coming from the meeting.

 

These included: if unwell stay at home, and continue to use face coverings in public, particularly in health care settings. A script for Board Members to circulate was attached to the minutes.