Issue - meetings

The Board to receive a presentation on this issue.

The Board received a briefing, supported by a presentation, regarding the impact of Covid on the health and care system, with a particular focus on the Royal Oldham Hospital and acute services.  Board members were advised that data presented had been taken from the date of circulation with the Board agenda, and brief updates were provided at certain points during the presentation. The briefing also considered the overall picture, the changes that had been made in across the health and care system, and the impact on various aspects of acute services across both the North East Sector of Greater Manchester and Oldham specifically.

The Board was reminded that the Oldham response to Covid had been the result of great efforts by many people working across the various partner organisations in Oldham.  All parts of the system had needed to continue to adjust and change ways of working in order to address the Covid pandemic, embracing ways of working that could not have been envisaged earlier in the year.  The presentation indicated the changed ways of working in the acute sector, primary care, mental health services and community services, and provided a ‘snapshot’ listing of those services and arrangements that had been changed.

The presentation provided a series of graphs showing various trends across the North East Sector and on the emergency department at the Royal Oldham Hospital during the pandemic period.  It was highlighted that locally, relatively more cases of Covid were being found and were being treated, but that a related increase in excess deaths was not being seen.  Looking ahead, each system within Greater Manchester had submitted their plans outlining how they proposed to manage and mitigate the impact of a rise in COVID cases and a number of illustrative scenarios had been modelled.  The presentation concluded with a listing of highlights of activities and approaches that had worked well during the Covid response.

The Board was reminded that there remained significant challenges to be faced.  It was to be hoped that lockdown would reduce instances of community transmission, and the prospect of mass vaccination was a hopeful sign.  It was however noted that delivery of such vaccinations would likely fall on primary care which was already responsible for flu vaccination and some Covid testing. 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.