The Cheshire & Merseyside (C&M) Directors of Public Health (DsPH) currently meet for weekly calls. The key messages from the 4th June meeting are as follows:
- PHE COVID-19 update – Sam Ghebrehewet of PHE NW reported that Cheshire & Merseyside still had the lowest rates in the North West but cases are rising especially in Cheshire. There have been some outbreaks in schools. A national hospital admissions report is due to be published, however the data indicates that there have not been vaccine failures to date in those who have received two doses.
- Health protection system – Julie Webster updated that an external provider had been commissioned to carry out stakeholder analysis and interviews on the development of a new health protection system. They will run three workshops with DsPH, health protection leads and environmental health officers plus interviews with other key stakeholders.
- Marmot Community launch event – The Marmot health inequalities team is currently working on a review of system assets in C&M and Sir Michael Marmot will join a virtual event on 7th July to launch this work. Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council will chair the event and local academics have also been invited to speak. Registration for the event will open shortly.
- Good news and gratitude – The DsPH shared good news and gratitude:
- The DsPH expressed their thanks to communications colleagues in the Champs support team in respect of the ‘Spread the Facts’ campaign case study which was picked up by the national media and has been a phenomenal success. Thanks to Matt Ashton, lead DPH, for his support with the media work.
- Sue Forster, former DPH at St Helens will be joining the Champs Support Team on 9th June as a Consultant in Public Health to provide senior strategic leadership to the mental wellbeing and suicide prevention programme of work.
- The DsPH wished Sophie Pemberton of the Champs Support Team well as she leaves to take on new challenges.