Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman for the meeting from the Dorset Council

representatives.

Resolved

That Councillor Laura Miller be elected Chairman for the meeting.

To appoint a Vice-Chairman for the meeting from the BCP Council

representatives.

 

Resolved

That Councillor Nicola Greene (BCP) be appointed Vice-Chairman for the meeting.

 

To receive any apologies for absence.

 

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Graham Carr-Jones.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their decision councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

 

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

 

To receive and note the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2021 were confirmed.

To receive questions or statements on the business of the committee from town and parish councils and members of the public.

No statements and questions from Town and Parish Councils or public

statements or questions were received at the meeting.

To note and discuss the Forward Plan.

 

The Board’s Forward Plan was noted and, what was due to be considered

over the coming months, accepted.

 

To receive a presentation from the Director of Public Health on Dorset Public health activities relating to the current health protection issues; COVID-19 response and interventions; and how the Business Plan is being progressed.

The Director of Public Health took the opportunity to inform the Board of what

had been done by Public Health Dorset (PHD) - in partnership with other

heath bodies GP’s; Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group; the NHS,

emergency services; and Dorset and BCP Councils - to address and manage

the Coronavirus pandemic within Dorset over recent months.

 

The Board were given a presentation illustrating the local outbreak

management plan, how it was being applied and managed and what was

being done in practice, along with other associated information pertaining to

the pandemic, to put what PHD was doing – and had done - in some context,

this being:-

 

·        Coronavirus: current situation - including analysis of cases, hospitalisations, deaths, testing regime and vaccination rollout progress

·        Comparisons between the Regional/National picture

·        The implications for - and of - Step 4 of the roadmap from 19 July

·        Health protection – the impact on the team/recruitment and planning

·        Business Plan update

·        Priority work over the next 6 months

 

as well as how PDH had been able to continue the successful delivery of its core responsibilities in light of all this.

 

Given the unprecedented circumstances in having to deal with such a

pandemic, it was a seen to be a credit to PHD in how this had been managed

and, as a consequence, how relatively successful it had proven to be.

 

The relative success seen in suppressing such an infectious and contagious virus was seen to be largely attributable to how PHD managed it, what had been done in practice to do this; and the preparations they had made to do so.

 

The acts of social distancing, hand washing and isolation - which had been generally well observed in Dorset - had meant that containment of the virus had been relatively successful, compared to if this had not been the case. The testing regime being implemented and how successful and efficient the vaccination programme rollout had been, was seen as testament to the effective management of PHD. Moreover, the ability to maintain what PHD services offered and could do throughout this outbreak was to the benefit of Dorset, its residents and visitors in being assured that continuity was maintained, as far as practicable.

 

The Director was confident that lockdown had contributed significantly to

breaking the chain of transmission along with the observations of social

distancing and individual hand hygiene being applied, observed and complied

with had gone a long way to Covid-19 being dissipated as it had.

 

The Board were assured that the team had endeavoured to deliver as far as

possible against their statutory responsibilities, provided essential public

health services in line with Government guidance at the

time, and above all protected and responded to the health threats arising from

the unprecedented pandemic.

 

The Board appreciated what PHD had done in addressing the Covid-19

pandemic and how this had been achieved and the commitment shown, being seen to be a credit to how important PHD preventative work was, which demonstrably demonstrated how Dorset and its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97.

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health.

This report provided an overview of the current performance of Community

Health Improvement Services, including the NHS Health Checks

programme – currently paused. It also provided some initial ideas for future

recovery of the NHS Health Check programme for discussion and

agreement on the way forward this year.

 

Proposals for the delivery of this service were the use innovative digital approaches – given the progress of local on-line services such as LiveWell Dorset, alongside community engagement and which could take the form of either a general offer or a targeted offer being developed and bing made readily avavailble.

 

The Board considered that NHS Health Checks had an opportunity to be reviewed and updated in line with national changes to the programme, primary care recovery, and the formation of the Integrated Care System

services following the recovery plan which were all satisfactorily delivering, albeit with some at a slightly lower level than the previous years. The Board recognised the importance of pharmacies – in complementing GP practices – in delivering preventative interventions and acknowledged the role such community facilities had in identifying targeted need. Comms played a significant part too to ensuring understanding of what was available, where and by whom.

 

The Board was pleased to see what progress – albeit limited - was being made and the continued success being seen with the Services delivered and what health improvements were being made. Members were pleased to see the new initiatives proposed to be implemented and what benefits these could bring. The advent of advancements in the availability of digital services should be used to complement face to face contact, as necessary and where practicable.

 

Officers affirmed that Public Health Dorset would remain committed to maintaining and developing these improvements going forward.

 

Resolved

That the recovery of most CHIS services – and their continued delivery - as progress was being made through the roadmap and out of COVID-19 restrictions be noted and acknowledged.

 

 

 

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health.

 

The Board received an update on the use of each Council’s grant for public

health, including the budget for the shared service, Public Health Dorset, and

the other elements of grant used within each Council outside of the public

health shared service. The report described how the funding was being

applied and to what services and in what proportion.

The Board understood that the public health grant was ring-fenced, and

monitoring spend against the grant would support better financial planning and use of the Public Health Grant to improve outcomes in partner Councils, as well as through the shared service.

 

The report set out what the PHD Shared Service budget for 2021/22 was and what the grant allocation retained by the Local Authorities was.

 

Whilst it was acknowledged that the continued interventions needed to

address the issues associated with Covid-19 were unprecedented and

represented a unique challenge both in financial and practical terms, the

Board recognised that the available funding was being used as efficiently as it

could be and appropriately prioritised to continue to optimise outcomes.

 

Resolved

That the finance update report be noted.

 

 

 

 

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health.

 

The Board was provided with a high-level summary of performance for drugs and alcohol and sexual health services, with supporting data in appendices.

The importance of monitoring of the clinical treatment services performance

was readily acknowledged so that the delivery of the services might still be

able to achieve all that it might, given what concentrated efforts the pandemic

was otherwise demanding from PHD.

 

The Board considered that, in their close monitoring of performance, clinical treatment services delivery was still being maintained as well as it might, with the budget being used to best effect to benefit those in need of the services.

 

Resolved

That the performance and changes in relation to drugs and alcohol, and sexual health be noted and acknowledged.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

 

There were no urgent items for consideration.

A presentation of the activities of Public Health Dorset and delivery of Services during the Covid -19 pandemic.