Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services in relation to the ongoing progress made by the council working with partners and communities in response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report in relation to the ongoing progress made by the council working with partners and communities in response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Board (19 May 2020) report titled ‘Update on Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic – Response and Recovery Plan’ was appended for the Board’s attention and consideration.

The following were in attendance:

-  Councillor Rebecca Charlwood, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults

-  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health, Leeds City Council

-  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health, Leeds City Council

-  Helen Lewis, Interim Director of Operational Delivery, Leeds Clinical Commission Group

-  Julian Hartley, Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

-  Sam Prince, Executive Director of Operations, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

-  Sara Munro, Chief Executive, Leeds and York Partnership Foundation NHS Trust

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults introduced the report, and in doing so expressed her thanks to all health partners and their ongoing work throughout the pandemic, and also to residents of Leeds, recognising the difficulties and pressures placed upon families during this time. The Executive Member also noted that the position had evolved since the report submitted to the 19^th May 2020 Executive Board meeting, and specifically, that there are now no cases of Coronavirus in care homes in Leeds.

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

·  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Members asked for an update on the accessibility to PPE stock in Leeds, particularly in care homes across the city, and were assured that a number of clear pathways to obtain PPE have been established to ensure that organisations are able to maintain sufficient stock levels, which is overseen by a city-wide group lead by the Director of Adults and Health.

·  Mental health services. In response to a query around the impact of Covid-19 on mental health services in the city, Members were advised that there was an initial decline in mental health referrals at the beginning of the UK lockdown, however the demand is now returning to ‘pre-Covid’ levels. Members were advised that there had been cases of Covid-19 across all LYPFT settings, including psychiatric intensive care, which had created some challenges around behaviour. Members were informed that staff have undergone extensive additional training, and the estate had been reconfigured to protect those at high risk.

·  Wellbeing support services for shielded groups. Members sought clarity around the steps taken to support the mental wellbeing of shielded groups living in isolation. Members were advised that targeted support is provided to shielded groups in partnership with the third sector, and there is an ongoing initiative to recruit shielded groups to the volunteer ‘buddying’ programme, to support others and their local community whilst improving their social and emotional wellbeing. It was also noted that people who are shielding are advised to do so on an individual basis, whilst being mindful of the importance of quality of life for those with terminal conditions.

·  Future outbreaks and contact tracing. Members sought clarity on the capacity to manage local outbreaks, and the effectiveness of contact tracing locally. Members were advised that future outbreaks were likely, particularly through the autumn and winter months, and that the approach to localised ‘lockdowns’ is to manage complex cases through contact tracing by identifying specific workplaces, schools and other settings, rather than the whole / parts of the city.

·  Risk assessments for BAME staff. Members sought assurance that risk assessments for BAME staff had been completed across the health sector in Leeds, due to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities. Members were advised that risk assessments had been completed across all organisations for BAME staff and examples could be provided to Members on request.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report, along with Members comments, be noted.