Agenda item

(To receive a report from Derek Ward, Director of Public Health, which presents to the Committee the Director of Public Health's Annual Report, which focusses on Covid-19 and the impact of the disease on health and wellbeing in Lincolnshire.  Tony McGinty, Consultant in Public Health will be in attendance for this item)

The Chairman invited Tony McGinty, Consultant in Public Health, Lincolnshire County Council to present the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2020 to the Committee.

Attached to the report at Appendix A was a copy of the Director of Health Annual Report 2020 for the Committee's consideration.

In guiding the Committee through the report, particular reference was made to: 

·       The impact of Covid-19 in Lincolnshire, page 69, chart 1, of the report pack detailed the number of positive cases each day in Lincolnshire since March 2020;

·       Hospital Admissions, page 71, chart 4, provided information relating to United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust patients admitted or diagnosed with Covid-19 since April 2020;

·       Deaths as a result of Covid-19, page 72, chart 5 of the report pack; advised of the number of deaths in Lincolnshire as at 13 November 2020, as being 370;

·       Care Homes, page 72, chart 6 of the report pack, advised that there had been 277 care homes reporting an outbreak during the Covid-19 pandemic.  It was highlighted that the months September and November had seen the highest number of outbreaks in a month with 73 and 74 respectively;

·       Schools and Education, page 73, chart 6 of the report pack advised of the school outbreaks in Lincolnshire.  The Committee noted that there had been 444 reports of outbreaks by 312 education settings during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Committee noted further that October saw the highest number of outbreaks, with 165 outbreaks being reported;

·       Multi Agency Response to Covid-19 in Lincolnshire, page 77 of the report pack advised of the work of the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum in continuing to respond in a proactive and coordinated manner to Covid-19 in Lincolnshire; and

·       Longer Term Health and Wellbeing Implications of Covid-19, page 82, Figure 2, provided the Committee with information relating to the expected Covid-19 burden of disease over time. 

During discussion, the Committee raised the following points:

·       The vaccination programme and to the fact that some residents within the Lincolnshire were being asked to travel long distances to have their vaccination.  The Committee was advised that the vaccination programme was a herculean task; and that Lincolnshire posed lots of challenges with its geography and age profile.  The Committee noted that it was hoped that all adults would have received their vaccination before the winter of 2021;

·       GP support to care homes.  The Committee was advised that as part of the preparation for Covid-19, the public health team had provided support and technology to care homes to assist them in preventing and managing Covid-19.  It was noted that primary care teams had responded in a different ways, with some managing remote consultations;

·       How going forward, vaccination against Covid-19 would be managed.  It was highlighted that at the moment it was not known how long current vaccines would provide protection; and if there were more variants, then vaccines would have to be adapted accordingly, similar to what was currently being done with the flu vaccine.  It was however highlighted that the Covid-19 virus tended not to mutate as much as the flu virus.  The Committee noted that the vaccination programme for Covid-19 would in place for all, or some of the population for the next few years;

·       Why the death figures recorded were only to include deaths with Covid-19 diagnosed up to 28 days before death.  The Committee was advised that this was a national process, which was introduced on 25 August 2020 only to include deaths with Covid-19 diagnosed up to 28 days before deaths;

·       The need for continued reinforcement of the fundamental message of Hand, Face, Space,  Some concern was expressed to mixed messages portrayed to the public, with some televised sporting events  ignoring the fundamental message;

·       The longer term health and wellbeing effect of Covid-19, particular reference was made to the effect on mental health.  The Committee noted that the full effect of Covid-19 would not be fully known for some time.  Figure 2 on page 82, provided details of the expected burdens;

·       One member expressed thanks to the Public Health Team for all their hard work through the last year;

·       Pages 72, 73 and 75 of the report pack, provided information that the number of cases was rising during the month of September 2020.  A question was asked whether that was an early warning for lockdown to have happened sooner.  The Committee noted that the public health system had learnt a great deal; and that a new body had been established to ensure that going forward lesson were learnt;

·       The lack of reference to North East and North Lincolnshire in the document; and whether the public health team worked closely with colleagues from bordering authorities.  The Committee was reassured that the Public Health team worked very closely with colleagues from other areas, particularly North and North East Lincolnshire;

·       The effect of the virus, virus mutations and origins – The Committee was advised that the Covid-19 virus attacked the surface of the lungs.   The Committee was advised further that currently there were four main significant variants in the UK; and that the current vaccine would be able to deal with three of the variants.  It was highlighted that any new variant would be tested.  The Committee noted that the virus had originated from Wuhan in China, it was of animal origin, which had then spread to human; and then from human to human; and

·       Gender specific – The Committee was advised that from the data provided so far, it would appear that the figure for premature mortality was slightly higher in men who had contracted the virus, than in women.

The Chairman on behalf the Committee extended his thanks to the Consultant in Public Health for his presentation.  The Chairman also extended his thanks to Tony McGinty for his support to the Health Scrutiny Committee over the years and wished him well in his new role, after he left the Council at the end of January 2021.

RESOLVED

1.    That the Annual Report by the Director of Public Health be received.

2.    That the updated information on the Covid-19 pandemic be noted.