Agenda item

A communications and engagement strategy has been developed to support the Surrey Local Outbreak Management Plan. The Communications Plan has evolved as more has been learnt about our public health response to the virus and this report provides the latest update on communications activity.

Witnesses:

Abi Pope - Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead, Surrey County Council

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) noted that:

·         Since the last Board meeting, there had been a number of changes to adapt to such as the publication of the Government’s Living with COVID-19 plan and the end of free universal testing.

·         The Communications team (SCC) continued to work closely with the Public Health team (SCC), the regular joint data meetings had highlighted the continued high prevalence in Surrey of Covid-19 so the Communications team (SCC) via local and national assets had been continuing to ask people to do the right thing such as continuing with infection prevention measures through ‘Back to basics’ messaging such as ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’.

·         Changes to the testing programme had been communicated, throughout March the Communications team (SCC) was continuing to remind people to keep testing until 31 March and the messaging from 1 April 2022 was focused on reminding the public that free testing was only available to certain groups - such as those at risk of serious illness and NHS staff or social care staff - and information was provided about how to buy tests as a precaution when visiting an elderly or vulnerable relative for example.

·         The public health messaging had changed as people cannot be certain if they are not testing in the same way whether or not they have Covid-19, or if they might have symptoms of another respiratory illness and therefore emphasised the importance of staying at home if feeling unwell, particularly as the NHS had published a broader list of Covid-19 symptoms with nine new symptoms added to the three existing symptoms. 

·         There had been messaging around the changes in travel guidance, particularly in the run up to the Easter holidays, including the changes to testing and other requirements, as well as reminding people to ensure that they are vaccinated when they are visiting other countries.

·         The Communications team (SCC) had continued to support its colleagues in Surrey Heartlands as they worked closely together on vaccination communications. Whilst Surrey Heartlands had taken over the use of geo-targeting, the team continued to support them on specific areas.

·         There was a large list of all the different cohorts and the different requirements that the team had been communicating to, including the recent announcement in early April 2022 that 5 - 11 year olds could now have their Covid-19 vaccination.

2.    The Chairman thanked the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) for her work and highlighted the tremendous contribution by the Communications team (SCC) over the course of the pandemic and joined up working with the Public Health team (SCC). She noted that the messaging around Covid-19 had been powerful and there was a lot of learning to take away and successful tools including the RingGo parking app.

3.    A Board member thanked the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) and the Communications team (SCC) for their work. She noted that the Covid-19 communications campaign had been clear and visible across a multitude of channels, and its success could be measured by the fact that compared to the outset of the vaccination programme, residents’ queries had stopped as they were informed of where to go and their eligibility. 

-       In response, the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) welcomed that positive feedback and that it had been a pleasure to work with the Board.

RESOLVED:

That the Board noted the activity outlined in the report.

Actions/further information to be provided:

None.