Issue - meetings

            The Board considered a copy of the Mid Mersey Winter Planning document and the 2 local system winter plans which had been derived from local system partnerships of Warrington and Halton and St Helens and Knowsley. On receipt of the plans the Urgent and Care Network and the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership would aggregate the plans up as a Cheshire and Merseyside response.

            It was recognised within the plan that winter was likely to place unique pressures on the health and care system, COVID-19 remained a concern with seasonal flu and other viruses, seeing an increase in transmissions over the winter period. Additional challenges were set out in the plan that would exacerbate pressures on the health and social care system in Winter 2020/21, increasing demand on usual care as well as limiting surge capacity. These factors had all been considered in the winter plans and mitigations of COVID-19 this winter had substantially changed the local response to that used for previous winter planning and the first wave of infection in Spring 2020.

            RESOLVED: That the Board

1.    Acknowledge the winter planning requirements; and

2.    Support the two local system winter plans and the Mid Mersey submission.