Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That Councillor McLaren be appointed Chair of the Joint Scrutiny Committee (Overview and Scrutiny Board, Performance and Value for Money Select Committee and Health Scrutiny Committee) considering Covid-19 related matters.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Curley, Davis, Harkness, Ibrahim and Phythian.

There were no items of urgent business received.

There were no public questions received.

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph(s) 1,2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

RESOLVED that, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it contains exempt information under paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the information.

The Chief Executive advised that at the outset the Council had declared a Major Incident and convened Gold/Silver/Bronze groups and meetings, including multi-agency groups to address the broad range of priorities, not least across the health and social care sectors led by the Council and the CCG where a series of Bronze groups had been convened to consider matters including community, bereavement and end of life. 

The Overview and Scrutiny Chairs had raised a number of issues in advance of the meeting which provided the basis for the briefing the Joint Committee received.

The Strategic Director Commissioning reported on matters relating to the NHS over the period of the pandemic.  He reported with regard to staffing implications for the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Northern Care Alliance in terms of workplace locations, levels of absence due to self-isolation and arrangements made to ensure key specialities were covered.  Information was provided as to the number of patients treated locally in Hospital, including the demand on intensive care beds, the number of deaths recorded in Oldham to mid-May and the national R-Rate.  The activity of the PPE Hub in distributing items of required PPE across the sector was reported.  The processing of Covid tests locally was reported on, along with offers of testing made to front line staff and staff at GP surgeries, and the consideration of a local model for test and trace.  The Strategic Director reported further on the impacts in terms of cancelled operations and outpatient appointments, numbers attending the Accident and Emergency Department and plans for a return to normal services.

The Strategic Director received and responded to questions from Members related to data on re-admissions to Hospital, the impact of Covid on the BME community, the male/female split of those aged over 65 years who had died, and the basis on which data was recorded.  The Chief Executive further responded to a query relating to the availability of data at an electoral Ward level. 

The Managing Director Community Services and Adult Care reported on matters relating to community services and care homes over the period of the pandemic.  He reported with regard to staffing implications for community services in terms of levels of absence due to self-isolation or being in a household with someone who was isolating with symptoms.  He reported on the position of care homes in the Borough, noting the number of deaths that had occurred and that the pandemic had highlighted sustainability issues in the sector that were to be further considered.  The issue of PPE was considered and the role played by the PPE Hub in supporting care homes was noted.  It was reported that financial issues had not affected people getting the support they needed, but that going forward the way in which services were provided would need to be looked into.

The Managing Director Community Services and Adult Care received and responded to questions concerning the supply and provision of PPE locally.

The Strategic Director Communities and Reform reported on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.