Agenda and minutes

1.1  There was an apology from Simon Galczynski (Director, Adult Services).

2.1  The Chair reminded all those participating that the meeting was being both recorded and livestreamed.

2.2  There were no urgent items and the order of business was as per the agenda.

3.1  There were no declarations of interest.

4.1  The Chair stated that the purpose of this item was to explore what can local authorities can do to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in their areas and what space there was for local health partners and the Council to supplement the national government approach?

4.2  The Chair welcomed the following participants for the panel discussion:

Dr Sandra Husbands (SH), Director of Public Health for Hackney and City of London

Professor Kevin Fenton (KF), Regional Director Public Health England London and Regional Director of Public Health at NHSE London

Professor Anthony Costello (AC), Member of Independent SAGE Committee and a director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London and a former Director at World Health Organization 

Professor Allyson Pollock (AP), Director of Newcastle University Centre for Excellence in Regulatory Science and member of the Independent SAGE Committee

Amanda Healy (AH), Director of Public Health, Durham County Council

The Chair also welcomed the following:

Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and Leisure

Dr Nicole Klynman, Consultant in Public Health, Hackney and City of London

Denise d’Souza, Interim Strategic Director of Adult Services

Dr Mark Rickets, Chair, City and Hackney CCG

David Maher, Managing Director, City and Hackney CCG

Tracey Fletcher, Chief Executive, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Laura Sharpe, Chief Executive, City and Hackney GP Confederation

Jon Williams, Director, Healthwatch Hackney

Carol Ackroyd, representative of Hackney Keep Our NHS Public

4.3  Members gave consideration to the following supporting papers:

(i) Briefing paper on Test, trace and isolate in Hackney from Dr Sandra Husbands,

(ii) Report of The Independent SAGE group on ‘Covid-19 what are the options for the UK’ published on 12 May.  Professor Costello and Professor Pollock are members.

(iii) Background information (Cabinet report) from Amanda Healy, Director of Public Health of Durham County Council on their approach including the use of population health management to ensure residents with multiple vulnerabilities are supported to self-isolate and on their approach to testing locally, including in care homes.

(iv) Tabled presentation slides from Professor Costello.

4.4  In introducing the item, the Chair described the Hackney context for Covid 19 and noted that 68% of the cases in Hackney were from those born outside the UK vs 37% of the population being foreign born.  He gave each panellist 10 mins after which there would be questions from the Commission Members.

4.5  In introducing her report Dr Sandra Husbands (SH) highlighted the following points:

a) London was one of 11 national pilots just announced for the Test, Trace and Isolate progamme and Hackney together with Camden, Newham and Barnet comprised the London pilot.  This programme represented an enlarged version of a normal PHE contract tracing system.

b) Level 1 focused on outbreaks, level 2 on following up cases and testing and level 3 involved use of call handlers to reach out to contacts and follow up with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1  Members gave consideration to the minutes of the previous meeting and the matters arising as well as the notes of the informal meeting on 30 March.

6.1  The Chair stated that the Vice Chair of the Commission Cllr Maxwell had stepped down from the Commission after having been appointed as a Cabinet Adviser.  There had been two nominations from within the Commission for Vice Chair from Cllr Snell and Cllr David.

6.2  Cllrs Snell and David gave a brief outline of their reasons for standing and the issues they would like to progress.  The Chair stated that Members would give consideration to these and there would be a formal vote to elect a Vice Chair at the next meeting.

6.3  The Chair then stated that the Commission would also have to appoint a third representative on the Inner North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to replace Cllr Maxwell who also had held this position.  The Chair asked for nominations.  Cllr Snell proposed himself.  There was a vote and Members unanimously elected Cllr Snell.

7.1  Members’ gave consideration to the work programme.  The Chair stated that because of the current health crisis he wanted to retain some flexibility in the programming of items for the next meeting because the Commission needed to be responsive to a rapidly evolving situation. 

7.2  The Chair stated that the impending decision of HUHFT to extend the contract for soft services to ISS for another 5 years was a major cause of concern.  The Commission had debated this contentious issue in January with the Chief Executive of HUHFT and this announcement had caught many by surprise.  Members stated that it was always permissible to update a forthcoming contract in the light of emerging issues and this needed to be taken on board.  One of the key issues was the impact of these work arrangements on those from ethnic minority groups who make up the largest proportion of the workers affected.  A key concern was payment of sick pay especially during a pandemic and the immediate concern about the disproportionate impact of Covid 19 on this same cohort of workers.  Members agreed that the Chair should write to the CE of HUHFT asking questions on and expressing concern about this course of action and inviting her to the next meeting.

7.3  The Chair stated that another key issue for July was to hear from local health stakeholders on the drive from NHSE London to accelerate the pace of integration, in the context of Covid-19, of the local health service into a single Integrated Care System for north east London.

8.1  There was none.