Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Dr Matt Tryer (Cheshire East Council).

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Councillor S Corcoran declared a non-pecuniary interest by virtue of his wife being a GP.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2020.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2020 be approved as a correct record.

In accordance with paragraph 2.32 of the Committee Procedural Rules and Appendix 7 to the Rules a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question or make a statement at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no public speakers.

To consider the ICP Strategy and Transformation Plan.

The Board considered the Integrated Care Partnership Strategy and Transformation Plan.

The Transformation Plan set out four priority area to be focused on – cardiovascular health, respiratory health, mental health and social prescribing, and children’s health.    These areas had been chosen following discussions between health and care professionals and other interested parties and selected as there was a perceived need in these areas in Cheshire East.    The Plan set out in details the evidence of need for each of the priorities, the proposed interventions, resource requirements, the initial thinking in relation to innovation and doing things differently, and aspirations for taking things further.

RESOLVED:

That the Integrated Care Partnership Strategy and Transformation Plan be noted.

To consider a report on the proposals for Integrated Care Systems and the draft MoU for the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership.

The Board considered a report on the proposals for an Integrated Care System and the draft Memorandum of Understanding for the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership.

NHS England had published in November 2020, as part of a national consultation, their proposals for the establishment of regional Integrated Care Systems from April 2022.  The consultation had finished on 8 January 2021. The report provided a summary of the proposals, which were central to the delivery of the NHS England’s Long-Term Plan.  The Integrated Care Systems would have a key role in working with local authorities at ‘Place’ level. Through the Integrated Care System, commissioners would make shared decisions with providers how to use resources, design services and improve population health.  

The Draft MoU for the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System had been circulated to Councils by the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Care Partnership.  The MoU set out the vision and priorities of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Care Partnership, detailed the governance arrangements and listed the members of the Partnership.    Comments had been invited on the MoU by 20 January 2020 and it was expected that the final version would be signed off by partners in February/March.

RESOLVED:

That the proposals be noted.

To receive a verbal update on Test, Trace, Contain, Enable.

Professor Rod Thomson gave an update on the Test, Track, Contain and Enable system in Cheshire East.

He reported that the infection rate had now started to decrease following the sharp increase at the start of January.  The rate was now less than 300 per 100,000 in Cheshire East, with around a 1000 people testing positive in the last seven days.  This was still higher than in the first wave and therefore it was still important to focus on the measures to reduce the spread of infection.   There were over 300 covid patients in Leighton Hospital and Macclesfield Hospital with 260 in the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The local contract tracing team were dealing with referrals from the national centre, following up cases with individuals and businesses if there had been cases within the workforce.  The contact tracing did not just rely on the initial phone call but also followed up individuals on several occasions by phone or visits to their homes. The contract tracing success rate was the highest in the region alongside Cheshire West and Chester. 

An expression of interest had been registered with the Department of Heath for extending community testing, as part of the recovery phase of the work, for those individuals who had to leave their home to work to receive some form of testing. Two models had been suggested. These being the use of local pharmacies and utilizing the two existing testing sites in Crewe and Macclesfield for lateral flow testing.

It was reported that the vaccination programme was going well, with over 50,000 people having been vaccinated across the Borough.  The vast majority of these being those people in care homes, their carers, the over 80s age group and health and care worker.

RESOLVED:

That the verbal update be noted.

To receive an update on the Cheshire East Place Partnership.

The Board received an update on the Cheshire East Place Partnership.

It was reported that the Place Partnership had been discussing what its role would be with the introduction of the Integrated Care Partnership.   It was also important that the work of the Place Partnership did not lose momentum with the departure of Mark Palethorpe from Cheshire East Council as he had ensured that Place was central in partnership discussions.  The involvement of the Council in the Place Partnership was important and discussions had been held with the Chief Executive to ensure this continued. 

RESOLVED:

That the update be noted.