Agenda item

The Panel was provided with the annual report on health protection assurance in Doncaster covering the financial year 2020/2021; 

The Panel was interested to hear about the following areas;

Resources and Capacity – It was recognised that there had been a coordinated and sustained response to the COVID-19 pandemic whilst existing duties and functions had been maintained.  Members were assured that the Council was meeting its priorities in response to the pandemic prior to receiving any funding.

Later in the meeting, there was a brief conversation regarding the success of multi-agency working and how there was a shared aspiration to build on that learning and collaboration.

Flu Vaccination and MMR – Members were pleased to learn that there had been improvements for all cohorts,  The following areas were discussed;

·         Increased take-up of vaccines - In terms of the reasons behind higher take-up of flu vaccinations, it was explained that individuals had wanted their flu vaccination prior to when the Covid vaccine was to be made available.  It was acknowledged that a significant improvement had been seen this year.

·         Antenatal Clinics - Members welcomed the offering of flu vaccinations through antenatal clinics.  It was explained that uptake did not appear higher due to data quality issues that had been raised nationally and the complex definitions/eligibility associated with this cohort.  Members were told that data quality issues were being addressed nationally for the next season and that providers were now well placed to increase take-up in the future.

·         Pneumonia vaccinations - there was a brief discussion around the low take-up reported for Pneumonia vaccinations and it was explained that there had been a challenge with logistics which was being looked into.

·         Staff Take-Up of Vaccinations - In terms of staff take-up of vaccinations, Members were informed that there had been a positive uptake amongst staff.  It was also acknowledged that staff take-up of vaccinations were not mandatory and were based on the individuals consent.

·         Vaccination in Schools - A Member raised concern that flu vaccination take-up within schools was only 55-60%.  It was explained that school closures had presented a challenge but there had continued to be an offer to provide a vaccine to all pupils.

Cervical screening - It was explained that cervical screening had continued in all practices across Doncaster (that restarted June 2020) and had shown increases during the last few months. Reference was made to work being undertaken by the Cancer Alliance and Jo’s Trust website which contained further information

Members were assured that plans were now in place to address the staffing issues experienced by Gateshead laboratory (managed by North East Cumbria commissioning team).  It was noted that there had been an improvement shown with the service now running at 32 days (from target of 14 days).  Member were assured that work was being undertaken with North East, North Cumbria with the laboratory to bring that down and that colleagues from quality assurance in Public Health England were supporting that work and that NHS England was heavily linked into the plans in place.

It was requested that a written update be provided on progress being made to reduce the number of days back to the 14 days target.

It was further explained that the delay was in relation to notifying the woman of the result if there had been a positive test.  Assurances were made that this would not affect the women being referred into services or the diagnosis of it.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases – There was a brief discussion around decreases in Sexually Transmitted Diseases and what would happen once restrictions have been lifted. 

Members were informed that this decreasing trend had predated lockdown.  It was recognised that this might have been a result of wider behavioural change following on from many years of work taken to address it.  It was acknowledged that lessons could be learnt from what has taken place during the lockdown and how the service had reached more people in terms of support and advice.  It was noted that there was a challenge around access to contraceptive services, which were currently limited, and it would be further considered how else this could be increased and built upon. 

Substance Misuse – Members raised concerns around the increasing use of nitrous oxide and other drugs used for recreational purposes amongst the local communities.  The Panel was assured that the Public Health team was aware of this issue although limited evidence available (apart from products found in the community).  It was explained that there had been communications work undertaken with young people to relay appropriate messages as well as raising awareness with adults as part of ongoing work.  It was recognised that this issue was having a significant impact on communities and mental health, particularly in young males.  It was requested that further information be provided on the medical effects of nitrous oxide.

Air Quality - The Panel considered the ongoing work to tackle air quality in Doncaster that included what was taking place in certain areas such as Hickleton and Marr.  Members were reminded of other work across the Council and partners, such as the wider Environment Strategy and active travel.

The discussion highlighted the following areas;

·         Roadside –There was a brief discussion around the impact of pollution in relation to the distance from houses to the roadside, reference was also made to the location of air quality devices.

·         Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) Action Plan – Concern was raised around how areas in the LAQM action plan were prioritised.  Members were assured that measures were considered fairly for all areas and that such information was made available publicly (through the Defra website) and opportunities had been presented to Members to become engaged in the process.  Members raised concern about the extent to which the number of people affected by poor air quality influenced the allocation of resources. The Panel was reminded of the Council’s action plan, which included measures over a 10-15 year period.

·         Communication and Profile – In terms of communication, it was felt that more could be done to make public information become more appealing and accessible.  Members were of the opinion that communication around air quality across the Borough needed to be widened and profiles raised.  It was felt that present forms of communication were not impactful enough and examples of alternative methods of communication were referred to, such as the use of a short video film for the public to disseminate information.

The Panel therefore resolved to;

a.       note the joint work on infection prevention and control of coronavirus (covid-19), and the key role that Doncaster’s health protection professionals play in coordination and management of the pandemic response.

b.       note the ongoing work with local partners in addressing immunisation update rates in Doncaster, in particular flu vaccinations and MMR among vulnerable groups.

c.       note the progress made, and efforts to address the challenges in relation screening programmes.

d.       note ongoing work to tackle air quality in Doncaster.

e.       note overall assurance on health protection of the people of Doncaster.

And proposed that consideration be given to the follow recommendations;

1.         That in relation to nitrous oxide (and other recreational drugs), that the Director of Public Health writes on behalf of Doncaster to the Secretary of State for Health highlighting the Panel’s concerns about the increased use about nitrous oxide and what steps were being taken to  address this.

2.         In relation to Air Quality, that further consideration be given to improving communication of information to the public, for example, through the use of short video, to make it more appealing and accessible.