Issue - meetings

15 minutes

To note the Health Protection Board Annual Report for 2022-23 and support the recommended priorities for 2023-24.

Anna Brett (Health Protection Manager) and Amy McCullough (Consultant in Public Health) to present the report.

Anna Brett (Health Protection Manager) and Amy McCullough (Consultant in Public Health) gave a presentation on the Health Protection Board Report 2022-23 as follows:

1.  What is Health Protection? - Protecting the health of the population by improving the prevention and control of communicable diseases and other environmental threats.

2.  Which specialist areas does the Health Protection Board cover?

·  Healthcare Associated Infection

·  Communicable Disease Control & Environmental Hazards

·  Health Emergency Planning

·  Sexual Health

·  Substance Misuse

·  Screening & Immunisation

3.  2022-23 - 5 priorities RAG rated green, and 3 priorities rated amber.

4.  6 priorities set for 2023-24.

5.  Questions for the Board:

·  Is the Health & Wellbeing Board assured that the Health Protection Board has delivered on the priorities from last year?

·  Does the Health & Wellbeing Board support the priorities that have been recommended for next year and are there further opportunities to join up with partners to achieve them?

In response to questions from Board Members, it was noted:

1.  In terms of governance, there was an informal arrangement that the Health Protection Board would report back to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

2.  The importance of communication was acknowledged and there were different strategies in place for reaching vulnerable people e.g., specific projects, roving vaccine backpack and visiting community settings.

The Board RESOLVED to note the annual report and the following recommended priorities for the Health Protection Board in 2023-24:

1.  Assurance: continue to monitor the performance of specialist areas, identify risks, ensure mitigation is in place and escalate as necessary.

2.  Continue to actively participate in the prevention, preparedness and management of outbreaks and incidents with partner agencies to slow down and prevent the spread of communicable disease and manage environmental hazards.

3.  Continue to ensure that the public and partner organisations are informed about emerging threats to health.

4.  Embed the BSW Local Health Resilience Partnership Communicable Disease Plan to reduce vaccine preventable diseases and reduce transmission of winter illnesses. Use the Sector Led Improvement Plan and Gap Analysis Action Plan to inform this work.

5.  Contribute to the BSW system wide quality improvement projects, which aims to reduce the incidence of E-coli blood stream infections and Clostridium Difficile infections.

6.  Help improve immunisation uptake and reduce inequalities in uptake through the following: the BSW Maximising Immunisation Uptake Group, a refreshed B&NES Vaccination Implementation Plan, and through contributing to the development of a new Integrated Vaccine Strategy for BSW.