Agenda item

Impact of Covid-19 on Care Settings and support provided during the pandemic – to follow

The Chairman invited the following to the meeting:

·       Dawn Wakeling, Executive Director, Adults and Health, LBB

·       Colette Wood, Director of Primary Care Transformation, NCL CCG (Barnet Directorate)

·       Jess Baines-Holmes, Assistant Director, Adults and Health, LBB

The Committee received the report with details of the Council’s and CCG’s Care Home Support Plan which the Council had been required to submit in May 2020. The Executive Director of Adults and Health noted that the papers also include data on incidences of suspected and confirmed Covid-19 in Care Settings and on clinical in reach support to Care Homes. The report also provides a link to a report on Care Home support which was presented to the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) on 25 September 2020.

Ms Wakeling reported that as discussed at the JHOSC, 185 additional Community Health beds will be provided, funded by the CCG, at St Pancras Hospital, Edgware Community Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital.  This would provide a new discharge pathway so that no Covid-positive patients would return directly to a Care Home from an acute hospital bed. Ms Wakeling reported that north central London was the first sub-region of London to make this system-wide change which has been implemented further to data analysis and best practice from around the world.

A Member asked whether the Government would reimburse the Council for the PPE it is providing for Care Homes until March 2021. Ms Wakeling confirmed that there would be no cost to Barnet for the PPE which it has provided since the start of the pandemic as this is met by Government funding. At the moment, this funding is available until March 2021.

A Member asked why clinical in-reach for Care Homes had not been set up prior to the pandemic and whether it would continue. The Committee was advised that this was a decision of the former Barnet CCG, which had  planned this prior to the pandemic. Funding had become available for a locally commissioned service so that GPs and nurse-led multidisciplinary teams are available to support Care Homes until the end of the financial year and it is being sought from April 2021 onwards.

A Member asked about Barnet’s visiting policy for Care Homes which follows national guidance. The Secretary of State has stated that local visiting policy has to follow national guidance which also gives discretion of the Care Home Manager and Director of Public Health. The Member noted that the report does not mention the mental health impact on residents and their family due to visiting not being allowed and asked why exceptions can’t be made in some cases. 

Ms Wakeling responded that Ms Baines-Holmes is working with the Barnet Carers Centre on this issue. Most Care Homes in Barnet allow visits with social distancing measures in place. The Department of Health’s National Adult Social Care Winter Plan sets out instructions for Councils, the NHS and Care Providers about restricting visits and requirements for social distancing. . The Committee was advised that registered Managers and family need to be brought together to explore options and to look at additional mental health support.

Dr Djuretic noted that some Care Settings in Barnet have been closed to visitors due to COVID-19 positive cases and this is based on local visiting policy and Care Home Managers’ advice. The virus circulated in some Care Homes resulting in the deaths of some residents and the closures were put in place to try to prevent this happening again. Barnet asks Care Settings to close for 14 days when a positive case is identified. The balance between avoiding infection and overall mental health and wellbeing is well understood and has also been discussed at the Adults and Safeguarding Committee (A&SC).

RESOLVED that the Committee noted the written and verbal reports.