To report any issues with the information below please email executivecycle@westberks.gov.uk.

Agenda item

Vaccination programme update

Minutes:

The Board considered a presentation from Katie Summers (Agenda Item 5) relating to the Vaccination Programme. Key points from the presentation were as follows:

·         The EMIS database was not available, so ward / Super Output Area data could not be provided.

·         86% of eligible residents had received their first vaccine

·         86% of eligible residents had received their second vaccine

·         These figures were above the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) average and in line with the rest of England

·         52% of eligible residents had received their booster jab – this was slightly below the BOB and England averages

·         34% of 12-15 year olds had received their first dose, which was slightly behind BOB and national averages, but catch-up sessions had been arranged at West Berkshire Community Hospital from 20 November.

·         A significant number of 12-15 year olds had missed their jab due to having tested positive for Covid.

·         71% of residents aged 65+, 28% of residents aged 50-64 and 23% of at-risk residents aged 16-49 had received their flu vaccine. These levels were comparable to the previous year.

·         It was noted that two Primary Care Networks (PCNs) had not signed up to the vaccination programme, or were unable to support it due to capacity issues.

·         Although a community pharmacy site was able to increase capacity in the Kennet Centre, some rural residents struggled to get to Newbury. A surge vaccination pop-up clinic would target the rural communities over a two-week period.

·         PCNs that had not signed up to the programme had still visited care homes to ensure that the most vulnerable were still vaccinated.

·         In terms of ethnicity, most of those who were unvaccinated or had not received their booster dose were white. There was also a significant number of unvaccinated people within the Asian / Asian British – Indian population.

The Chairman made the following points:

·         The benefits of getting vaccinated in terms of preventing death and serious illness should continue to be promoted.

·         Residents had previously been unable to book a booster jab in advance of the 180 day period lapsing, which affected the figures.

·         The Council should help to promote the details of the pop-up clinics to residents.

·         12 year olds were unable to record their vaccination because they were too young to get the NHS app.

Katie Summers noted that people could now book their boosters after 5 months and she was working with the Comms Teams to get this message out. She also confirmed that Martin Dunscombe had been invited to relevant meetings about pop-up clinics. Regarding the NHS app, she noted that the constraint was at the national level, but everyone would still get a card with details of their vaccinations.

Councillor Lynne Doherty welcomed the additional work, but questioned why West Berkshire had to catch up, and suggested that it was a postcode lottery as to whether or not individual PCN’s decided to participate in the programme, with the rural west of the district more affected than other areas. She had raised this as an issue with the Chairmen of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Health Scrutiny Committee. She also noted that the flu data excluded her local GP practice, and highlighted that local residents had expressed dissatisfaction with the service provided. She wanted to get to a situation where mitigation was not required in order to catch up.

Katie Summers recognised Councillor Doherty’s concerns and indicated that the issue was wider than Covid vaccination. She offered to present to the Health Scrutiny Committee to articulate the wider support that would be going into primary care. She expressed disappointment that mitigation was required and noted that two of West Berkshire’s PCNs had been quick to say that they were unable to support the vaccination programme, but PCNs had since indicated that they were also unable to support it.

Councillor Steve Masters agreed with Councillor Doherty. He suggested there were wider staffing and funding issues affecting the PCNs and asked how the CCG was providing support. He asked which areas would have the pop-up clinics and whether Speen ward would benefit.

Katie Summers indicated that a detailed plan for the pop-ups would be available by the end of the week. She confirmed that only the most rural communities were affected. She also indicated that some people preferred walk-in clinics to pre-booking and she had requested a facility in West Berkshire. She noted that there was a general capacity issue in primary care, but other staff such as paramedics, pharmacists and community navigators could support GPs.

Councillor Masters agreed that there was a need for a walk-in clinic for people living in the far west of the district.

Katie Summers indicated that an update within the next few days.

Councillor Martha Vickers noted that some older residents were confused about where to get their vaccine and highlighted a postcard with details of available locations. She noted that Boots had been offering walk-in jabs, but had subsequently turned people away. She felt that some people may not come back once they were turned away. She noted that the Kennet Centre was also offering walk-in vaccinations, but had been forced to restrict them. She thought they were looking for larger premises. She also highlighted that it was possible to get flu and Covid vaccines together. Finally, she expressed concern about national issues with vaccine protests outside schools and pregnant women refusing vaccines, and hoped that they were not happening in West Berkshire.

Councillor Graham Bridgman noted that the postcard had been produced by the Public Health Team. He also stated that when people booked online, the closest of the venues listed on the back of the postcard would be offered.

Katie Summers highlighted the ‘grab a jab’ website that promoted walk-in vaccination facilities. She noted that there had been some anti-vaccination protests planned at a Berkshire school, but this had not happened. She also confirmed that Royal Berkshire had produced vaccination information for pregnant women/ new mums.

Supporting documents: