Agenda and minutes

(1)       Cllr Brake proposed and Mr Carter seconded that Mrs Bell be elected as Chair of the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board.

(2)       Resolved that Mrs Bell be elected as Chair of the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board.

(1)             Mrs Bell proposed and Mr Gough seconded that Cllr Brake be elected as Vice-Chair of the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board.

(2)       Resolved that Cllr Brake be elected as Vice-Chair of the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board.

(1)  Apologies for absence were received from:

(2)  X attended as substitute for x y z respectively

(1)          Apologies had been received from Dr J Allingham, Mrs J Brown, Mr M Dunkley, Ms L Farach, Dr G Findlay, Mrs P Graham, Cllr A Jarrett, Mr Mr Matthew Scott, Mr Myles Scott, Ms C Selkirk, Mr M Walker.

(2)          Mrs Paula Tinniswood and Dr Amanjit Jhund attended as substitutes for Dr George Findlay and Mr M Scott respectively.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in items on the agenda for the meeting

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2021 were a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)          James Williams presented the report which provided an update on steps taken to mitigate rising cases of COVID-19 across both Kent and Medway as it relates to the Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP). In addition, he said that, as expected, the infection rates had increased as the country moved into stage 4 of the COVID-19 Plan.  The rate of infection  in Medway was at 223 per 100,000 of the population, the rate in Kent was 231 per 100,000, while the rate was 259 per 100,000 in the South-East and 308 per 100,000 nationally.  Mr Williams outlined the requirements on local authorities arising from the publication of the Winter Plan including the continuing requirement to isolate following a positive PCR test, the retention of the ability of local authorities to restrict local events which posed a risk to the public and the restrictions imposed on international travellers returning to the UK.  He suggested that the Board received a paper at a future meeting setting out the totality of those changes.  He said changes to the LOMP had to be made by 4 October and would reflect the extension of the pharmacy-collect programme to the end of December, the continuation of symptom-free testing and the new requirement that Covid-19 tests be booked in advance.  He said the learning from the Open Golf at Royal St George’s in Sandwich had been shared widely and that some of that learning had been used by the organisers of the recent Victorious Festival in Portsmouth.   Mr Williams concluded by saying that Kent and Medway had the highest rate of vaccine uptake among diverse communities in the South-East and that its mobile vaccination centres and models of outreach had been well received.

(2)          In response to questions about the vaccination programme for care home residents and staff, it was confirmed that there had been significant engagement with care home providers registered with the Care Quality Commission and that there was no reason to think the vaccine programme would not be a success.  Mr Williams undertook to provide further information about the impact of the requirement for care workers to be vaccinated on the availability of care workers.  Mrs Duggal said that 96% of residents in care homes in Kent had received one dose of the vaccination, 93% had received two doses, while 90% of permanent staff had received one dose and 82% had received both doses.  The data also indicated that 76% of agency staff had received one dose and 46% had received both.  It was also confirmed that those who had not yet been vaccinated could still come forward for vaccination.  Mrs Tinniswood said that all hospitals in Kent and Medway had a number of patients who could not be discharged because care packages were not available. In response to a question about the impact of self-isolation on the retail sector, it was confirmed that there was a legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive PCR test, being contacted by NHS track and trace, or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

(1)  Rachel Jones introduced the report which set out the key findings from the Health Inequalities workshop held on the 10 June 2021 and the next steps in the development of a Health Inequalities Action Plan for Kent and Medway Integrated Care System for approval by the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board. The report also asked the Joint Board to agree to receive a discussion paper its next meeting in December.

(2)  During the discussion, comments were made about: waiting lists for hospital appointments and difficulties in getting GP appointments; the disparity in the ratio of patients to GPs across the county; the difficulties of those in rural areas accessing GP services; the recruitment of GPs and other health and social care workers in coastal and other deprived communities; the distinction between the professional development and personal appraisal of GPs and the evaluation of the services they provided to patients; and the increasing demand on GPs and other health services as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(3)  Resolved that a discussion paper be received at the meeting of the Joint Board scheduled for 7 December 2021 setting out the learning from the Population Health Management Development Programme and the proposed priority areas for the health inequalities action plan to focus on.

(1)  Rachel Jones introduced the report which provided a summary of latest national guidance relating to the establishment of integrated care systems (ICS), along with details of the evolving Kent and Medway plans and operating model.  She also outlined the principal changes arising from the most recent guidance, explained some of the changes in terminology and summarised the proposed governance structures.  She a national announcement about the appointment of independent chairs of the integrated care boards was expected at the end of the month and that the advertisements for accountable officer posts had been placed in the Health Service Journal.  In response to a question, she said it was likely that the board of the new integrated care partnership in Kent and Medway would consist of more members than the statutory minimum outlined in the guidance, however, it should not become so big as to be unmanageable.  The importance of avoiding duplication between the Kent and Medway health and wellbeing boards and the new Integrated Care Partnership Board was emphasised.

(2)       RESOLVED to note the update for information.

(1)  The report asked the Joint Board to note the agreement of the Medway Health Wellbeing Board and the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board, following a request from the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), that a representative of the KAMJHWB attend meetings of the Kent and Medway Primary Care Commissioning Group (PCCG).

(2)  Resolved to note the decisions of the Medway Health and Wellbeing Board and the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board that:

(a)  a member of the Kent and Medway Joint Health and Wellbeing Board be nominated to attend meetings of the Kent and Medway Primary Care Commissioning Group’s Primary Care Commissioning Committee in accordance with paragraph 4 of the terms of reference of the PCCC;

(b)  James Williams, Director of Public Health at Medway attends the PCCC’s meetings as the representative of the KAMJHWB; and

(c)   this appointment is reviewed in 12 months’ time in line with the development of the Integrated Care Systems boards.

(1)  The report asked the Joint Board to consider re-appointing Dr Bob Bowes as a non-voting member for a further year to July 2022.

(2)  RESOLVED to agree the re-appointment of Dr Bob Bowes as a non-voting member for a further year to July 2022.

(1)  Dr Taurannum Rampal presented the paper that detailed the progress to date of the innovative Kent and Medway Prehabilitation service available for residents with a new cancer diagnosis. She said the service supported individuals improve their health and wellbeing in advance of starting cancer treatment, which resulted in positive short and long term outcomes for the patient and savings to the system.

(2)  Members of the Board wished their appreciation of the initiative to be recorded.

(3)   RESOLVED to endorse the Kent and Medway Prehabilitation Service.

(1)            Jessica Mookherjee (KCC Public Health Consultant) introduced the report which provided an update on the suicide prevention programme and included information on the:

•      impact of Covid-19 on suicide rates and the Suicide Prevention Programme

•      Preventing Suicide in Kent and Medway: 2021-25 Strategy (amended following recent public consultation)

•      Kent and Medway Better Mental Health Pledge / Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.

•      New Support Service for People Bereaved by Suicide.

(2)            Ms Mookherjee also said that the strategy had been nominated for a national award. The Board welcomed the strategy and thanked Ms Mookherjee for the report and for the teams’ achievement, so far in closing the differential in suicide rates between Kent and Medway and the national average.

(3)Resolved to endorse the Preventing Suicide in Kent and Medway: 2021-25 Strategy.