Agenda item

Impact of Covid 19 on residents and NHS

Officers and the NHS have been tasked with providing the below information, where possible. Two presentations are enclosed.

 

Current numbers of confirmed Covid 19 cases and death rate for:

 

a)  Southwark resident population

b)  Southwark care home residents, placed in and out of borough

 

Below equalities data for mortality and severe morbidity (e.g very ill)

 

a)  Ethnicity (including Jewish)

b)  Age

c)  Occupation

d)  Tenure

e)  Size of household

f)  Sickle cell anaemia and other underlying health conditions 

 

Impact of lockdown on people, particularly considering equalities : e.g people in poor housing, with childcare responsibilities, different occupations etc.

 

Impact on health service of Covid 19 and particularly:

 

a)  To what extent are people returning to use services eg stroke and cancer

b)  how will GP services accommodate different delivery now and in future provision

Minutes:

Dr Nancy Kuchemann, local GP and NHS CCG South East London Clinical Lead presented the health information and Jin Lin; Acting Director of Public Health presented the Public Health report. 

 

The following points were made during the subsequent discussion:

 

·  Members raised concerns with the delivery of the 111 service; the first port of call for COVID 19, and other medical matters. In particular a member highlighted a problem with translators, especially Spanish speakers; early in the pandemic people did not get a return call for a week. The GP lead said the 111 service was initially overwhelmed and she acknowledged that there were insufficient translators to cope with demand. She assured members that there is  now planning to prevent this reoccurrence  if there is resurgence. 111 performance had improved by May and GPs did not have a problem with interpreters.

 

·  In response to questions concerning the large reduction in cancer referrals and attendance at A & E the GP lead said there was a big campaign to encourage people come back to NHS service sometime ago. GP services are open and the majority have remained accessible throughout the pandemic. There are people who do not want to attend hospital or have face to face appointments because they are shielding or worried about infection, however the chance of catching COVID 19 is quite low in our part of the country. Unfortunately here are people presenting later with greater severity of symptoms.

 

·  A survey has been done on the impact of COVID 19 and more information will be ready in the autumn.

 

·  The data on COVID 19 positive cases captures age and postcode; however it does not yet capture ethnicity. Officers do have access to ONS data, but there is a delay of two months. Officers intend to use this data to obtain more information on people with health conditions, and are using data to inform recovery plans and winter planning for a potential second wave , as well as  ongoing services supporting people, such as the  Community Hub .

 

 

·  On line testing is available through the post in 24 hours, as well as a drive and walk through centre in Dulwich.

 

·   The R rate in London is difficult to estimate accurately as the methodology becomes less accurate with smaller numbers. Presently the R rate is released every Friday and is currently 0.7 – 1, however as this is problematic at low level; it is better to look at that in conjunction with new infections and estimated population rate. Using Pillar 1 Hospital data and Pillar 2 walk in and community data  7 new cases have been reported in the last few days, which is low.  Southwark’s population rate of infection is estimated to be 3 / 3.7 per 100,000, compared with a much greater magnitude in Blackburn, at 47 per 100,000 and 115 Leicester, at 115 per 100,000.

 

 

·  Antibody testing is primarily currently being used for academic study to inform measurements of past infection rates, rather than being rolled out to the general population. A positive test ought not to change behaviour, as it does not mean that there will be immunity.

 

·  The risk of contract of Covid mirrors class, ethnicity, population density, occupation.

 

 

·  Public Health is learning about clusters. There are no clusters in Southwark, but  officers are learning from outbreaks in meat factories, for example.

 

·  Members raised the particularly difficulties and risks new parents face and officers said that they will be thinking about this through the  survey and the health round tables that officers are planning to convene, to inform the recovery plan .

 

·  A further report on the impact on children and young people and risks around Domestic Abuse will come to the next meeting.

Supporting documents: