Agenda item

Anna Brett/Amy McCullough

Anna Brett, Health Protection Manager and Amy McCullough, Consultant in Public Health gave a presentation on the Health Protection Board annual report as summarised below:

What is Health Protection?

Protecting the health of the population by improving the prevention and control of communicable diseases and other environmental threats:

·  communicable diseases

·  chemicals, poisons and radiation

·  environmental hazards

·  emergency planning, preparedness and response

Which specialist areas does the Health Protection Board cover?

1.  Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI)
Key Performance Indicators (KPI): MRSA, C.difficile & Ecoli bacteraemia

2.  Communicable Disease Control & Environmental Hazards
KPI: Private Water Supplies & Air Quality Management Areas

3.  Health Emergency Planning
KPI: Civil Contingencies Act requirements

4.  Sexual Health
KPI: HIV & under 18 conceptions

5.  Substance Misuse
KPI: Hep B vaccination, Hep C testing, Opiates & Non-Opiates & Alcohol

6.  Screening & Immunisation
KPI: National screening programmes & uptake of universal immunisation programmes

Priorities the Board agreed for 2018-19 that were implemented in 2019-20 and beyond and RAG rated GREEN:

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 are informed about emerging threats to health.

4.  Support the development and implementation of all the Air Quality Action Plans in B&NES.

2018-19 priorities that were RAG rated AMBER

1. Improve the uptake of flu vaccinations in identified eligible groups and maintain high rates of childhood vaccinations.

The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on flu vaccination coverage. For most population groups vaccination coverage increased, as vulnerability and the importance of vaccination against infectious disease was highlighted during the pandemic.  Reductions in uptake were seen in pregnant women and children, this reduction was also seen nationally.

2. Continue to reduce health inequalities in bowel screening.

There would be a B&NES wide multimedia campaign to raise awareness.  This had been delayed due to the Covid pandemic and was due to be launched in the Autumn.  This would be supplemented with a primary care arm which would include both awareness raising training for local health and social care professionals, as well as a targeted, personalised approach to addressing specific sections of the target audience.

The following 8 priorities have been identified for 2022-23:

1.  Assurance: continue to monitor 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 are informed about emerging threats to health.

4.  Support the development and implementation of clean air projects and plans in B&NES.

5.  Ensure the delivery of the B&NES Living Safely and Fairly with Covid-19 Plan 2022-24, and associated actions, and informed by the evaluation of key interventions.

6.  Support the development of an Infection, Prevention & Control Strategy across the Integrated Care System, and further embed IP&C prevention across settings.

7.  Improve the uptake of flu, pneumococcal, covid and childhood vaccinations in identified eligible groups.

8.  Continue to reduce health inequalities, including in cancer screening programmes and particularly bowel screening and cervical screening.

Kate Morton reported that during the pandemic Bath Mind had carried out some good work with the Youth Group on encouraging vaccinations and advising on Covid safety but noted that this was at a time when there was a large bank of volunteers supporting the vaccination programme and questioned what would happen without this support in the future.  Anna Brett responded that emergency planning colleagues were looking at who could engage in future training but the Covid vaccination organisers at Lansdown Racecourse had confirmed that they had a strong bank of volunteers at the current time. 

Richard Smale reported that the ICB was developing an integrated care strategy and highlighted that further work needed to be done in terms of inequalities, not just comparing the local area to the national position but also identifying gaps within the B&NES area.  He confirmed he could support with sharing data to feed into the Health Protection Plan and Paul Scott also offered support in view of his experience in developing the BSW Inequalities Strategy.  It was noted that as part of the review of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy there would be a postcode question to identify key challenges in different areas to align and strengthen work to tackle inequalities.

In response to a question about a key ask for the Health and Wellbeing Board, Anna Brett reported that there was a current scoping exercise being undertaken in relation to developing a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme and requested the help of partners in sharing knowledge and training resources on emergency planning resilience.  She asked members to contact her with what their organisation could offer to support this programme.  Richard Smale confirmed that Integrated Care Board (ICB) member Gill May had knowledge of this area and would be able to support this request.

Joss Foster sought clarification on whether health care settings were represented on the Health Protection Board and identified as part of future plans relating to Covid 19 and was advised that this was the case and this would be made clearer in the plan. 

In response to a question about the imaging for the bowel screening campaign, Anna Brett confirmed that the case study and image reflected the health inequality data that of those eligible for screening the lowest update was amongst men in their early 60s. 

Cllr Dine Romero asked for an update in relation to groups not taking up the offer of flu vaccinations.  Anna responded that a lot of work was going on with maternity services to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated.  There was also work with organisations such as homeless charities, housing associations and food banks to reach out to other communities.

The Board RESOLVED to:

Note the Health Protection Board annual report and support the priorities for the Board in 2022-23.