Joint oral report/presentation of Health
Minutes:
The Committee considered an oral report from Health updating them on implementation of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in the County (schedule 1 to the signed minutes).
The meeting was attended Dr. John Patrick Hannigan (Clinical Lead, Staffordshire Covid-19 Vaccination Programme), Marcus Warnes (Accountable Officer, Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups) and Tracey Shewan (Director of Communications and Corporate Services, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups).
Members were encouraged to learn that:- (i) according to data recently published by the Health Service Journal, Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups had the highest level of vaccination uptake in the over 65 year old age group in the Country; (ii) as of 16 March 2021 468,000 vaccine first doses and 38,000 second doses had been administered; (iii) all Care Homes residents in the County had been offered their first vaccine dose resulting in a 94% take-up rate; (iv) vaccinations were to be offered to homeless people in Staffordshire, as a priority, following recent initial roll-out in the Stoke-on-Trent City area; (v) Pop-up clinics aimed at maximising take-up in Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities were also being implemented.
In response to a question from the Chairman, the Clinical Lead confirmed that supplies of vaccines in were currently sufficient to meet demand and capacity to administer doses was adequate. He also referred to a low refusal rate amongst residents although there had been some hesitancy in certain communities and groups, an issue which was being addressed though publicity campaigns and targeted initiatives. In response to another question from a Member regarding speed of roll-out to residents in the various priority groups, the Clinical Lead said that the Vaccination Programme in Staffordshire was being implemented in line with guidance from the National Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) and overall performance to date was comparable with other areas in the West Midlands region. However, he acknowledged various factors which might have either distorted weekly figures or suggested variability in vaccination roll-out across the County. Therefore, he undertook to investigate the feasibility of providing Members with regular bulletins on progress so that they could provide re-assurance to their constituents, as necessary.
The Accountable Officer also re-assured the Committee that Staffordshire were one of the best performing systems in the Country for implementation of the Vaccination Programme and that supplies and capacity to administer doses were currently satisfactory.
Another Member raised a local issue regarding the availability of vaccination centres in the Loggerheads/Market Drayton cross border area. In response the Clinical Lead highlighted that all GP Practices in the County had chosen to participate in the implementation of the Vaccination Programme. However, he was aware this had not been the case in all neighbouring areas. He therefore undertook to investigate whether any delays in Staffordshire residents receiving their vaccinations arising from their registration with out of County practices could be addressed so that no-one was left behind. The Accountable Officer added that the national booking system which enabled patients not served by participating practices to book vaccination appointments on-line, had recently been augmented. Therefore, this service was available to those residents highlighted by the Member, if required.
The Chairman highlighted future Covid-19 Vaccination Programmes and the lessons to be learned from 2020/21. He suggested that this topic be included as a potential item for scrutiny in their Annual Work Programme for the 2021/22 Municipal Year. He then thanked the representatives of Health present for an interesting and informative report and paid tribute to all involved in the Programme for the considerable progress which had been achieved to date.
RESOLVED – (a) That the oral report be received and noted.
(b) That Health investigate how elected Members could be better informed of progress (including relevant statistics) in the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme and implement any improvements in communication, as necessary.
(c) That Health investigate any issues which might exist with the implementation of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in cross boundary communities (including those which had been highlighted in the Loggerheads/Market Drayton area) and report back to the Committee regarding any remedial measures required, as necessary.
(d) That ‘Future Covid-19 Vaccination Programmes and lessons learned from 2020/21’ be included in the list of possible items for scrutiny in their 2021/22 Annual Work Programme.