To track the implementation of recommendations from the  scrutiny challenge session.

The Committee noted the Executive’s updated action plan response to the recommendations arising from OSC’s review of the Council’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic to September 2020. It was noted that Covid-19 and its variants will continue to circulate it that it is estimated that it will take 5 year to get to a predictable endemic state.  Repeated vaccination may be required to maintain immunity and future epidemics are possible that will overwhelm health and care services. The main points raised because of questioning maybe summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Agreed that LBTH needs to create conditions in which can live, work and study as safely as possible while the virus circulate

v  Agreed that the response will need to focus on the most vulnerable and the direct/indirect disproportionate impacts on individuals, groups, and communities with LBTH.

v  Noted that whilst there is no longer a legal requirement for people with coronavirus (Covid-19) infection to self-isolate it is their personal responsibility not to pass on any infection.

v  Agreed that there is no doubt that coronavirus has had a negative impact on staff with anxiety about the pandemic, forced lockdowns and uncertainty about when this will end.

v  Noted that young adults have been especially badly hit during the pandemic with curtailed education, diminished job prospects and reduced social contact with peers.

v  Noted that the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated access problems in general practice and patients have reported finding it difficult to book appointments and access treatment. 

v  Agreed that whilst LBTH does not have a direct influence over general practitioners there has been discussion at the Boroughs Health and Well-Board about encouraging Tower Hamlets GP Care group to offer patients a choice of the type of appointment they would prefer whether it be video, face-to-face, or a home visit. As some patients have struggled to get appointments for regular health check-ups, treatments, and drug reviews, meaning that some were unable to manage their condition.

v  Hoped that as LBTH enters a quiescent phase of COVID then the hope is that there will a return more to normal service across the board.

v  Agreed that the clearest impact of Covid-19 is in the infection and mortality rate in Tower Hamlets. However, there are significant indirect physical health impacts too. The interaction Tower Hamlets residents have with the NHS for non-Covid-19 related issues changed or reduced in most areas when the pandemic started. Due to this and a fear of Covid-19, some are not getting the care or treatment they need. Meanwhile, the wider determinants of health (e.g., employment levels) are changing. There is a real risk that health inequalities in the Borough will increase and that many will be living in poorer health. This is likely to be a national trend, but Tower Hamlets may be hit harder given the existing health inequalities.  However, going forward there is also an opportunity to capitalise on people’s interest in staying healthy to encourage things like smoking cessation and active travel. The NHS is also likely to accelerate system changes and retain aspects of their pandemic response that worked well, such as 111 use and digital consultations.

v  Agreed that there are lots of business continuity lessons to be learned from the pandemic across the organization and the partner agencies that need to be embedded in local policies as has been the case with the flu pandemic plan.

v  Noted the provision of universal free tests in England is soon ending,  as the pandemic reaches endemic levels.  Whilst from April 1, 2022, those not classed as vulnerable will have to pay for a lateral flow test as free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end for the general public in England.

·         Expressed concern that self-isolation support payments of £500 for those on low incomes have stopped and puts LBTH in a position of having to make some pretty quick decisions.  Therefore, the Committee indicated that it wished to consider how LBTH was going to address this as part of the living with Covid plan.

·         Noted that the self-isolation support payments are interlocking system, so not only is the self-isolation payments paid or funded by government grant, but that access it you need a PCR positive test code. Therefore, with the removal of PCR test there is no mechanism that LBTH would be able to utilize to determine whether or not somebody actually has the virus or not even if funding were to be found to help those on low incomes .

v  Noted that to cover isolation payments is a challenges that LBTH face because as soon as you start changing and tinkering with one part of the system, it has knock on effects in other parts of the system and that the challenge that LBTH face which is responding to that and trying to chart a way forward so that LBTH can support residents to be as safe as possible.

v  Agreed there at some point Covid must be treated not as an emergency pandemic but a longer-term fact of life, which is mitigated in ways that allows everyday life to carry on.

v  Noted that the virus is to be seen as “endemic,” but with the possibility of yet more variants, that potentially produce a different kind of strain on the service although the experience with Omicron so far has not translated into serious illness to anywhere near to the same extent as previous variants of Covid.

v  Noted that LBTH came into the pandemic with high but improving levels of deprivation and employment. However, since the first lockdown, there has been an increase in financial hardship from a reduction in income. One of the clearest signs of changing circumstances has been the surge in food bank use and demand for emergency food packages.

In conclusion, the Chair thanked everyone for the for the presentation and stated that the provided overview had given the Committee some level of assurance and also raised some questions as well and the Committee will be keeping a close eye on this issue and wished to receive further updates.