Agenda item

- an update on the Track and Trace Procedures for Bromley

Report ACH20-032

The Board considered a report providing an update on the progress towards the development of the ‘Test and Trace’ procedures in Bromley.

Public Health in Bromley had new responsibilities in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak. These included:

  -  Local outbreak management of COVID-19 in key or complex settings;

  -  Local area outreach and engagement with vulnerable, hard-to-reach or disconnected residents, groups and communities;

  -  Establishing regional or area networks to provide sharing of intelligence and mutual support if pressure on the national system; and

  -  Specialist Public Health support to Bromley Council and key local partners.

A new Test and Trace service had been launched which formed a central part of the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. This would operate through online phone contact whilst an app was being developed.

Local Authorities (LA) had been charged with supporting the new Test and Trace service in their area, with each LA developing tailored outbreak control plans, working with the local NHS and other stakeholders. The plans would focus on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in places such as workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools. Work on plans had started immediately, and it was expected that plans would emerge during the month of June 2020.

The primary objectives of the Test and Trace service would be to control the COVID-19 rate of reproduction (R), reduce the spread of infection and save lives – and in doing so help to return life to as normal as possible, for as many people as possible, in a way that was safe, protected the health and care systems and released the economy.

A co-ordinated effort from local and national government; the NHS; GPs; businesses and employers; voluntary organisations and other community partners; and the general public was anticipated. Local planning and response had been identified by the government as an essential part of the Test and Trace service, with local government having a central role to play in the identification and management of infection.

The LBB Director of Public Health noted that the table provided on page 34 and 35 of the agenda pack, described the individual key roles of the LA and Public Health England (PHE). PHE would lead on the majority of outbreaks, whereas the LA would lead on those within community clusters.

In terms of governance, a Health Protection COVID Board had been set up, involving PHE; the SEL CCG; Bromley Healthcare; community and voluntary providers; and most recently the Metropolitan Police. The Health Protection COVID Board had overseen the production of the Outbreak Control Plan, monitored the delivery of the Action Plan, and was accountable to the Local Authority’s Gold Chief Officers Group. It was noted that since the report had been written, the Outbreak Control Plan had been completed and published on the Council’s website. Board Members had been provided with the final draft version, and a link to the published document would be circulated shortly. This had been an important piece of work, as it outlined the key areas of work required to control an outbreak if it happened.

The Outbreak Control Plan was based on six domains including: controlling an outbreak; preventative function; working with vulnerable groups, for which a lot of work had been undertaken with help from the voluntary sector; and a data group, for which a data hub had been set up. The LBB Director of Public Health noted that they were receiving all of the data available, and had set up a monitoring system which would indicate if there was an increase of cases in a specific area. There was also an escalation system in place to help manage an outbreak, if one should happen.

The Health Protection COVID Board had met earlier that day, and regular highlight reports would be provided to the Local Authority’s Gold Chief Officers Group. It had been agreed that in terms of governance, the Council’s Executive and the Health and Wellbeing Board would provide additional oversight. Work was also being undertaken with One Bromley partners, and with SEL colleagues. There was a mutual aid agreement between boroughs to help assist each other if there was an outbreak across borders, and preparatory work in case there was a second surge in cases was also being undertaken.

The Chairman passed on his thanks to the Director of Public Health and her team for the huge amount of work undertaken, with extremely tight deadlines. This was echoed by the Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Health, who noted that a robust policy had been produced, and that it was good to hear that the ‘deep dive’ data to manage a local outbreak was being received.

In response to a question, the LBB Director of Public Health said that all lab results testing positive for COVID-19 would go through Contact Tracers, who would contact other people with whom they had been in close proximity either by phone or email. The Contact Tracers would assess the likely risk of the other people contacting COVID-19, and if this was considered to be high, they would be told to self-isolate for two weeks. They would then be contacted by the Contact Tracers on a daily basis to see if they required any help, and signpost them to local Council services. When pubs and restaurants reopened, they should ensure that people not known to each other were spaced the required distance apart, and they would be encouraged to obtain a list of names and contact numbers of customers. However it was unclear if this would be mandatory.

A Board Member noted that a dashboard of key statistics had been described within the report, and asked if the key headlines from it could be provided on a regular basis. The LBB Director of Public Health confirmed that this information would be available the following week, and could then be provided to Board Members on a weekly basis.

RESOLVED that the Public Health Update report be noted.