Staff briefing roundup

Welcome – Rob Gerlis

General update – Peter Wightman

Epping Forest and Harlow in Tier 3 – Uttlesford and Herts are in Tier 2 as we are above national COVID average
Tier 3 – All pubs, restaurants and bars have to close and offer takeaway services along with more restrictions visit GOV.UK
PAH – Lisa Gosling
Large number of COVID positive patients – approx. 90 as of Monday
Intensive care beds for COVID positive
Limited COVID capacity – opened forth COVID ward today
Main issues are around patients on the amber pathway
Some patients have been transferred to community to create more capacity
Pressures around staffing
ED very busy – we have patients in corridors
ED team lost one of their staff members to COVID – lots of staff off due to mental health and COVID – We are trying to support staff as much as we can
David Wallace – Care Homes
Concerns around a particular home – six staff COVID positive and three COVID deaths in one home – once more information is available we will share
Vaccine programme updates – Josephine and Claire
Vaccination programme started in Stansted this morning
Harlow PCN vaccination at Lister Medical Centre is starting tomorrow
Epping Forest North vaccination at Spencer close is starting tomorrow
North Uttlesford – starting Saturday
Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell – starting Monday
4,500 patients vaccinated by middle of next week
975 people for each site due to limited supply – over 80s population first
Vaccination cannot be transported, trial happening nationally this week to see if it’s appropriate for care home residents who are next
Next to be vaccinated are NHS and social care staff
All areas asked to invite care home workers and high risk GP staff to be vaccinated if there is any likely to be left over to avoid wastage
We will be looking at how many used that day to plan ahead
Supplies are for two doses for first group of patients
If you have been emailing the team – we will get back to you, it has just been very full on

Key comms messages to the community – number one is the public shouldn’t call their GP surgery for the vaccine, they will get an invite
Message number two is the safety of the vaccine – it is a tested vaccination designed for this purpose and people shouldn’t be concerned about the safety
Vanessa Moon – Stansted vaccination today (15 December)
People were very excited, arriving early, there was a steady flow and things are running very smoothly
COVID national and regional statistics (to come)

Simone Surgenor – procurement and waiver processes

Please speak to Sarah Beaumont about the waivers as audit committee is keeping a watch

ICS – Dr Jane Halpin

NHSE&I released a paper on system development – flagged a number of potential downstream changes
Three main areas – proposed possible legislative options – changing statutory basis of ICS’ – create ICS as statutory part of NHS family
Reality is CCGs in their current form will move to be an ICS with additional aspects from NHSE – board structure would change and replaced by different board – fewer clinicians overall
Developing place based partnership
Tried to be clear they do not see this as anything that requires reductions in staff numbers
We are taking forward this change agenda that we need the staff we currently have – may need to work in different ways or in new teams
Paper is for an engagement exercise rather than formal consultation – invited people to comment no later than 8 January 2021
Seek to legislate option 2 for April 2022
Peter Wightman – NHSE won’t be direct commissioner anymore – it will be the ICS

Local update – Ian Tompkins

School children to be tested in high rate infection areas
Deployment of lateral flow testing
Key worker testing facility – last day today due to introduction of vaccination PCN Centre
If you are symptomatic and need a test please book one online

AOB

Staff Quiz – Prizes to be won for the winning team! We have six teams and it’s not too late to join
Midweek Mindfulness – 20 people and found it very positive! We will keep it as a fortnightly session; the next one is to be scheduled for the New Year.

Your questions

Q. Are there any updates on the impact of EU Exit available?

A. We have a number of business continuity plans in place, we are waiting to see what happens but we are fully prepared as a health service.