Agenda item

To update the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in this portfolio.

4.1       The Committee received a written report from Councillor Tim Mitchell (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) who also provided a short verbal update on current and forthcoming priorities in his portfolio.

4.2       The Committee discussed the following topics in detail:

•           vaccination rates across Westminster and population data

•           compulsory admissions into inpatient units versus voluntary admissions

•           discharge to access and pressures on local authority budgets

•           priority funding areas for public health

•           the £3 million budget to be spent on Covid19 and health inequalities

•           compulsory vaccinations for care home staff and workforce planning

•           the Council’s dementia plan and how to support new carers

•           how to improve Covid19 and vaccination public communications 

4.3       Concerning vaccination rates across Westminster, the Committee was informed that there had been a 25% reduction in infection rates, though Officers believed that the peak of infections had passed but that this should not allow complacency. The Committee also discussed the difficulty of measuring vaccination rate success across Westminster due to inaccurate population data. Officers believed that generally the older population was overstated, and the young population understated across Westminster.

4.4       The Committee discussed compulsory and voluntary mental health admissions and enquired as to whether the number of detainees under the Mental Health Act was always higher than voluntary admissions. The Committee discussed community treatment orders and detention under guardianship. Dr Graham Behr explained to the Committee that community treatment under section 3 of the Mental Health Act enabled clinicians to state attendance for receipt of care and treatment in the community and that if a patient did not adhere to those conditions, the patient might be subject to recall to hospital. Dr Behr further explained that guardianship under the provisions of the Mental Health Act compelled a person to reside at a particular residence, with the legislation conferring the power to convey a person in breach of the residence requirement back to that place. The Committee heard these terms were often used to require a person to stay in supported accommodation.

4.5       Concerning discharge to access, the Committee discussed the ongoing complexities of the relationship between local NHS Trusts and local authorities and the financial responsibility of discharging patients who have care needs from hospitals.

4.6       Members of the Committee discussed the public health funding priorities. The Committee was informed that the £3 million public health grant allocated to addressing the impact of Covid19 on residents constituted new funding that Public Health had in reserves from a budget underspend.

4.7       The Committee discussed in detail the roll-out of the booster vaccine programme in Westminster, specifically in care homes. Officers informed the Committee that they had been working hard alongside their NHS partners to increase the vaccination rates across care homes. Officers stated that just over 70% of residents in care homes had received a booster vaccine and 15% of staff in care homes. The Committee was informed that the low booster vaccination rate amongst care home staff was due to guidance concerning the need for a six-month gap between an individual’s second vaccine and their booster dose.

4.8       The Committee discussed the Council’s dementia plan, the Carers’ Network and how new carers were being identified and supported. It was noted that Officers worked with new carers and supported them to receive a care assessment under the Care Act, in addition to working with Children’s Services to support young carers. Members of the Committee requested more communications on this in addition to information and referral routes under the Care Act to share with residents.

4.9       The Committee discussed vaccination uptake, including “vaccine fatigue”, what initiatives to improve vaccination rates had worked and what types of engagement the PH team was using to engage hard to reach communities. Officers informed the Committee that they had trialled incentivisation and were using a hyper-localised approach known as ‘making every contact count’, which involved working with ‘Covid Champions’ and community leaders.

4.10     RESOLVED: that the Committee note the Cabinet Member report.