Agenda item

Presentation by Director of Commissioning, Strategy and Delivery (Primary & Community Care), NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group

The Director of Commissioning, Strategy and Delivery (Primary and Community Care) gave a presentation (previously circulated) updating Members on the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and in doing so provided information on the key milestones of the vaccination programme.

It was reported that following a request from NHS England/Improvement (NHS/I) in November 2020 for GP practices to make urgent preparations to contribute to a potential covid-19 vaccination programme, through an Enhanced Service, Primary Care Networks (PCN) were required to designate one site per PCN grouping to receive the vaccine and consumables; and that Feethams House was identified as a designated site for Darlington PCN.

Members were advised that all 80 practices, which equated to 14 PCNs (working as 13 groupings) across the Tees Valley had signed up to the final published Enhanced Service; that the PCN groupings went live in delivering the vaccination programme in waves, with the first PCN groupings going live on 14 December 2020; two pharmacy sites across Tees were approved to deliver vaccinations; and Darlington PCN went live on the week commencing 4 January 2021.

It was reported that four additional pharmacy sites were approved to deliver vaccinations by NHSE/I and went live on 8 March 2021, with one of those being in Darlington at Cockerton Pharmacy; and two mass vaccination centres went live across the Tees Valley, with Darlington Arena going live on 1 March 2021 and Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on 22 March 2021.

Members were advised that following an update to the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme 2020/21 Enhanced Service Specification, covering phase 2 cohorts 10-12 (ages 18-49) in March 2021, Darlington PCN opted out of vaccinating cohorts 10-12 in light of the availability of the mass vaccination centre in Darlington; and Firthmoor Community Centre Community Pharmacy was proposed as an additional pharmacy site, and went live on 10 June 2021, delivering the Pfizer vaccine.

In relation to vaccination uptake, Members were advised that as at 10 June 2021, 74.0 per cent of the eligible population had received their first dose, 53.4 per cent of the eligible population had received their second dose and it was anticipated that all second doses would be administered by the end of August.

Details were provided of the partnership working of the PCN, in particular the twice weekly stakeholder meetings that were established; the support from the Local Authority and volunteers in the delivery of the vaccination programme; and the work undertaken to provide vaccinations to residents in the community.

Members were advised of the ongoing actions and response, in particular the exit planning, vaccine supply and Phase 3 planning in respect of a booster programme. It was also reported that a National Enhanced Service was in development in relation to the identification of patients with long covid; and that long covid assessment clinics were in place for GP’s to refer patients to.

Discussion ensued in respect of the work being undertaken to encourage vaccination uptake; Members were reminded that the vaccination was not mandatory; and that by encouraging the majority to receive the vaccine, that herd immunity could be achieved to protect those that weren’t able to or chose not to have the vaccine; and Members requested figures for vaccination uptake in each ward in Darlington.

RESOLVED – That the Director of Commissioning, Strategy and Delivery (Primary and Community Care) be thanked for her informative and interesting presentation.