Agenda item

To consider the Local Outbreak Management Plans.

The Board received a report and presentation from Kate Blackburn – Interim Director for Public Health, Wiltshire Council about the Local Outbreak Management Plan.

Points made included:

That the Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP) was a framework document outlining the role of the Local Authority in the management of the COVID-19 outbreaks in Wiltshire. The framework provided a consistent set of principles and approaches by which Wiltshire would manage what was a very dynamic situation.

The LOMP was required to be published by all Local Authority Directors of Public Health (DPH) on or before 1^st July 2020.

The Health and Wellbeing Strategy was a shared strategy, which aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population, reduce inequalities and promote the integration of services.

A Wiltshire Outbreak Engagement Board would play a critical role in ensuring residents and other key stakeholders across the public, private and community sector all understood and supported the necessity to comply with the rules and principles designed to prevent viral transmission. 

Local Authorities had a significant role to play in the identification and management of COVID-19 outbreaks. The plan would give clarity on how local government worked with the NHS Test and Trace Service to ensure a whole system approach to managing local outbreaks. Directors of Public Health had a crucial system leadership role to play ensuring that through the LOMP they had the necessary capacity and capability to quickly deploy resources to the most critical areas. Response to local outbreaks, while led by DsPH, needed to be a co-ordinated effort working with PHE local health protection teams, local and national government, NHS, private and community/voluntary sector and the general public.

At a Local Authority level, Wiltshire Council had put in place a Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP) to allow improved speed of response, thorough planning and deployment of resources, building on local expertise led by the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Public Health working with the regional PHE health protection team.

The principles to the approach were as follows:

·       The LOMP would build on existing health protection processes, not duplicate

·       The LOMP would ensure testing takes place quickly and tracing contacts of those who have tested positive occurs at pace, advising them to self-isolate

·       The overarching aim was to keep the virus under control through improved co-ordination whilst maintain community engagement

·       The governance arrangements associated with the LOMP would provide the structure and responsibility to enable a place-based approach and impact

·       Our assurance role would ensure that Wiltshire Council builds on local knowledge and real time data flow between local and national systems

·       Wiltshire Council would ensure a robust evidence base and local knowledge steer a consistent approach to our decision making

·       Wiltshire Council would work with neighbouring Local Authorities and key partners such as health and the LRF as required to ensure consistency of decision-making and public messaging.

Points and comments made included:

·       That we would get outbreaks – part of the course of coming out of lockdown.

·       A good leaflet – very easy to read.

·       That good Partnership working had been key during the pandemic.

·       Capacity – An ongoing process with some very accurate modelling. Wiltshire Council were carrying out a suite of exercises to model and stress test the plan before the winter.

·       That Wiltshire Council continued to work with partner authorities and organisations.

·       The importance of identifying any local outbreaks and Local Resilience implications.

·       That the local outbreak management plan reached every household in Wiltshire – not just those with online access.

Decision

1.    That the Local Outbreak Management Plan attached at Appendix One be approved and recommend to Council that it be adopted.

2.    Authorise the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Covid-19 Wiltshire Health Protection Board and the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, to amend and update the Plan to reflect the change of science and evidence-based working on the prevention and management of Covid-19 related outbreaks