Agenda item

[To receive a presentation from Adult Services on the Covid-19 response on areas that fall within the remit of the Health Scrutiny Panel]. 

The Director of Adult Services introduced a presentation on the work of Adult Services during the Covid-19 crisis.  He expressed his appreciation to all health partners in the City who had worked closely with Adult Social Care in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  He paid particular tribute to the Infection Prevention Team and the Rapid Intervention Treatment Service from RWT.  He also praised the approach of Public Health and the CCG to testing which played a huge part in helping them to identify and manage early outbreaks in care settings within the City.  He praised all the Care staff working within the City Council, Providers Services and also the Independent Sector who had faced an unprecedented level of deaths and illness.  Social Workers and Commissioners had adapted to help support the Care staff and it was important to recognise all their work.  He spoke warmly of the Food Distribution Hub and the Stay Safe, Be Kind Helpline, which had helped reduce demand on Social and Health Care services. 

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement commented that the Chairman of the Scrutiny Panel had requested specific information on Hospital Discharge, Infection Prevention within Care settings, Personal Protective Equipment, Public Health and Partner relationships and Public Health funerals. She stated that there had been some issues relating to hospital discharge particularly in the earlier stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.  There had been considerable guidance changes which were often issued late in the day.  They had adhered to national guidance and had put a new pathway in place with partners.  They met a couple of times each week to resolve any issues.  Where necessary additional steps had been agreed amongst partners.  As an example, they had provided extra staff and financial support to allow people to self-isolate for 14 days within Care Homes.  Prior to the pandemic there was sometimes 12 hospital discharge delays a day, since the pandemic they were now consistently at zero. 

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement commented that the work that had taken place on infection prevention had been a huge partnership effort.  The CCG had made sure every Care Home had received the right level of training on infection prevention.  They had robust outbreak control management and proactive action had been taken, with a daily Sitrep report from Care Homes.  The daily collection of data meant Care Homes which needed the help the most could be targeted, Safe and Well checks could be prioritised and Infection Prevention Teams sent to the site if required.    

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement on the matter of PPE stated that the Council did not just wish to rely on the national systems that were in place.  They wanted to ensure every care setting that needed PPE in Wolverhampton would be able to access it and hence why they had put their own system in place.  A tremendous amount of work had taken place in the distribution and allocation of PPE throughout the pandemic.  The Procurement Team had worked exceptionally hard to ensure the Council had good value for money.  An emergency seven days a week system was in place to ensure PPE could be sent to any Care Provider within Wolverhampton if required.

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement remarked that partnership working had gone well during the pandemic.  Provider Support meetings had taken place every day at the start of the pandemic.  They had made sure all the messages that were sent to Care Homes were consistent through working with RWT and the CCG.   

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement commented on Public Health funerals.  There had been an increase in these since the start of the pandemic.  In the same quarter last year there had been 8 Public Health funerals, for the same quarter this year there had been 13.  All of the funerals had been managed in a dignified way.

The Head of Service for Adult Improvement remarked that Covid-19 was forming a key part of their normal winter planning process.  In addition to the normal winter pressures of Flu and Norovirus, there was now the added pressure of Covid-19.  A working group was in place that was looking at capacity, PPE and advice and guidance to Care Homes.