Forthcoming 23rd February meeting of Cumbria Health Scrutiny committee

 I usually post advance details here Health Scrutiny meetings between a week and a couple of days in advance, when the agenda has been published.

However, in the case of the next Cumbria Health Scrutiny meeting on 23rd February we agreed some time in advance what the main theme will be and I see no harm and potential benefits in flagging this a couple of weeks ahead of the meeting.

The combined effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and of the lockdown and reductions in social contact implemented to fight it have been devastating to mental health and wellbeing, particularly for many of those who are most vulnerable. Videoconferencing systems such as Zoom, WEBEX and Teams have enabled councils, schools, Universities & Colleges, and many social organisations to continue functioning and provided a degree of social contact far beyond what would have been possible even a decade ago but there has still been an enormous impact.

So we have decided that the February meeting of Cumbria Health Scrutiny will focus particularly on the issue of Mental Health and wellbeing in Cumbria, the impact of the pandemic and how the services which support mental health, not just for those patients who normally need high levels of such support but for everyone, are operating and coping with the pandemic.

The full agenda and details for this online meeting will be published about a week before on the County Council website here.