This item provides a verbal update on Covid-19 and the Council’s response in supporting residents throughout the pandemic.
Minutes:
Linda Jackson provided a verbal update outlining the council’s on-going response to Covid-19. The three key areas were the borough’s infection rate; testing strategy and the implementation of mass testing for people who were asymptomatic; and the vaccination strategy currently being led by the NHS. In the past seven days 506 infectious cases had been recorded and the most recent figure of 439.1 indicated a reduction per hundred thousand of the population. At the peak of the second wave, this figure was closer to 1000 per hundred thousand of population. The positivity rate was 15.8%, so that for every one hundred people, 15.8% had tested positive. Linda Jackson outlined the council’s activities which included support for local business throughout the pandemic, remarkable work around social isolation, free school meal vouchers and work with community and voluntary sector mutual aid groups, and the Community Aid Network and referrals to the foodbank had increased significantly.
Linda Jackson highlighted three key elements which combined to form a Covid defence. First, the community needed to continue to social isolate, going out only when necessary. There were three, mass test sites and five pop-up sites located across the borough for asymptomatic tests. Additional test options included free home testing kits and lateral flow test. A third element was the NHS delivery of the vaccination through primary care networks across the borough at key sites in White City, Shepherds Bush and Parsons Green according to the eligibility criteria.
The target figure for completing vaccination for these groups was 14 February 2021 and which incorporated the impact of lower than expected vaccine take up. There was significant work being undertaken locally to address this and strong encouragement to accept vaccine appointments as and when these were offered. H&F clinical commissioning group was allocating supplies of the vaccines locally.
Victoria Brignell commended Linda Jackson and H&F colleagues for their commitment to protecting residents and to ensure continuity in services. Clarification was sought regarding vaccination arrangements for carers and personal assistants employed by disabled people under the direct payment programme. It was confirmed that all personal assistants had received a letter this week and those who were direct payment recipients would be asked to confirm the number and details of people they employed.
ACTION: For the Director of Covid-19 to provide further detail
about the council’s response to Covid-19 at the next
meeting of the Committee.
Echoing earlier comments, Councillor Lloyd-Harris commended the strength of the council’s response and thanked senior officers for their work, undertaken in challenging and difficult circumstances. Clarification was sought about the hesitancy about testing in care homes. Linda Jackson confirmed that testing was required if a care home wanted to remain open but clarified that vaccine “hesitancy” was an issue nationally. Lisa Redfern confirmed that approximately 94 people had received the vaccine at H&F care homes but there were also smaller, supported living units to include within this. Staff take up had been encouraged and generally this had been positive. A whole community engagement plan had been agreed, working with a range of groups and resources about the vaccine had been distributed in several languages and formats to ensure an effective dissemination of information.
Councillor Jonathan Caleb-Landy thanked Lisa Redfern, Linda Jackson and their teams for all their work and echoed earlier comments, recognising how fortunate the borough had been to have their support. Councillor Caleb-Landy asked if there were communities that were harder to reach and the areas where there was low vaccine uptake. Linda Jackson explained that she was expecting to receive local data from the CCG with a demographic profile of those refusing the vaccine. It had been acknowledged that there were higher rates of hesitancy amongst black Afro-Caribbean’s with about 50% refusing the vaccine but a more detailed breakdown of the demographic and data within this was needed. The issue of some minority ethnic groups not having the vaccine was a concern. Having trusted community voices to answer questions about the vaccines helped to counter the misinformation that was currently being disseminated was critical. Linda Jackson confirmed that the council’s communications team were working to challenge misinformation as a part of a wider strategy to improve vaccine take up and to ease anxiety about the vaccine.
Councillor Ben Coleman confirmed that a programme of engagement events about vaccine hesitancy was being planned to initiate and support local conversations about vaccine confidence. The council had raised the issue with NHS and CCG colleagues and requested focused data about “why” the offer of a vaccine was declined. Councillor Coleman expressed concern that an opportunity to address the historically low vaccine uptake had been missed. There was a shocking correlation between low uptake and some minority ethnic communities which were recognised as having experienced health inequalities correlated poor housing, low income and deprivation. This was a worrying administrative failure by the CCG to not address this earlier in the pandemic and a serious concern.
In response to a question from Councillor Bora Kwon, Linda Jackson explained that the council was not eligible for additional funding recently made available to tackle vaccine engagement, but it may receive any surplus if available. The London boroughs of Brent and Harrow had been allocated funding and had agreed to share any learning obtained as a result. Linda Jackson encouraged members of the committee and others in the meeting to help champion the benefits of vaccination.
In response to a further question from Councillor Caleb-Landy about the provision of mental health support provided to staff Linda Jackson confirmed that there were several staff assistance initiatives in place, in addition to a regular programme of staff wellbeing online engagement events and webinars.
Co-optee Nadia Taylor sought clarification around which eligibility group recipients of a carers allowance had been placed in and the possible dates that carers might receive the vaccine. Linda Jackson confirmed that locally, where a person was known to have a carer an appointment was likely to be offered to that carer.
Co-optee Jim Grealy commended the excellent work that had been undertaken by the council and was impressed by the amount of information that had been provided across the borough utilising multiple media channels. Given this, the absence of similar guidance and information on vaccine uptake was queried. He also raised additional concerns about those who were housebound, struggled with travel and those who could not be contacted by GPs as they did not have mobile telephones. Linda Jackson explained that the council was working with healthcare providers to support the vaccination of the over 80s cohort. Of this group, there currently remained approximately a 100 housebound people in H&F who wanted to be vaccinated. For the 75+ cohort, the NWL target was to have 75% vaccinated by 14 February 2021. Logistics around transporting and storing the Pfizer vaccine had resulted in some delays which had become more manageable as the AstraZeneca vaccine was made available. Linda Jackson confirmed that she would convey the points about messaging to GP practices with CCG colleagues.
ACTION: Director of Covid-19 to provide feedback to the local CCG
regarding consistent messaging.
Councillor Asif Siddique enquired about what provision had been made to support vulnerable groups to access test sites and whether sites were fully accessible. It was confirmed that there were several accessible pop up sites available and similar provision had been made regarding vaccination centres. In addition, all staff who worked within these areas had received training in providing additional support where required with high standards of customer care.
RESOLVED
That the Committee noted the verbal report.