To consider a report that provides an overview of the work of the Public Health Team and partners in the following areas:

·           maintaining year round resilience and readiness in relation to adverse weather and health;

·           preventing and managing outbreaks through good infection control, and tackling anti-microbial resistance; and

·           promoting health through uptake of the Winter vaccine programmes.

The Consultant in Public Health – Julia Chisnell, Public Health Specialist – Mandy Guy and Public Health Practitioner – Lu Wills presented the submitted Public Health Update on Winter Readiness and Year-Round Resilience to Adverse Weather and Infections report and responded to Members’ questions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces an Adverse Weather and Health Planning Framework, which was used by the Council to help prevent mortality, reduce morbidity, and reduce pressure on healthcare services. 

Should severe weather alerts be received, various Council Teams would be involved including Public Health, Emergency Planning, Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Events, Rough Sleeping Team, Highways, Harbours, Parking, Health and Safety and Communications.  A range of actions would be put in train, including infection prevention and control in schools and care settings support to rough sleepers during severe weather, and ensuring staff protection..

Vaccination awareness remains a key priority for Torbay.  Winter vaccines (flu and Covid) were provided locally by GPs, pharmacies and the schools immunisation service.  The Outreach Team provided pop-up clinics within the town centre, workplaces such as at SWISCo, and hostels. 

Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) remains a critical challenge worldwide, with infections lasting longer and becoming harder to treat, and over 35,200 deaths annually in the UK.  Torbay Public Health team had a programme of work to tackle AMR, focusing on schools, early years and care homes.  The team were finalists in the UKHSA international AMR awards in 2024. 

The Board raised the following questions:

·         were plans in place for all alert types received;

·         when notifiable diseases were reported, was Torbay Council notified;

·         do school children receive vaccines annually within schools or through their own GP surgeries;

·         was there a list of warm spaces within Torbay communicated to local residents;

·         would the warm spaces provision start earlier in 2025, or not until January 2026 as per the start of the spaces for 2025;

·         when a cold alert was received, which voluntary groups would go out and check on elderly or vulnerable residents; and

·         do Torbay Council publish communications to remind residents to check in on their neighbours when the weather turns very cold.

The following responses were received:

·         there are plans in place for all alert types.  Should a red alert be received, emergency response systems would be activated, and Government advice would be followed;

·         notifiable diseases are reported to UKHSA by clinicians and through laboratory notifications.  Torbay Council receive notifications from the UKHSA of each disease outbreak notified.  Individual cases are notified for certain conditions (e.g. meningococcal, E-Coli, iGAS);

·         children aged 2 and 3 years old receive their flu vaccinations through their GP practice or at local pharmacies.  Children up until the age of 16 receive the nasal spray vaccine in school.  Children up to the age of 18 may receive the vaccine if they have certain health conditions.  Parents can choose to attend community clinics within their areas should they require.

·         Torbay Council have invited submissions for the warm spaces grant funding.  All submissions received will be reviewed to ensure a good geographical split within Torbay to provide local residents with a range of options;

·         the review of all submissions received for warm spaces grant funding will be completed by the end of November with decisions made and an announcement can be made of the agreed locations in December.  These will be well publicised; and

·         on receipt of a cold weather alert, Torbay Council issue communications to provide advice to Torbay residents for keeping safe during the colder weather, and residents were reminded to check in on their neighbours.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.    that the Director of Adult and Community Services and the Director of Public Health be recommended to work with colleagues across the Council to improve communications with Members to ensure that when important key messages are to be issued to Torbay residents, Members are kept up to date to enable them to use their various communication methods to increase resident awareness; and

2.    that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board note the report and support efforts to build and maintain population resilience to adverse weather and infections.