FOI Request – COVID-19 Response:
The date on which the NCC launched its COVID-19 response.
Nottinghamshire County Council closely monitored national and international developments as they emerged regarding the COVID-19 pandemic (including key dates, such as the World Health Organisation declaring COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 and declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020). A comprehensive multi-agency local structure was established through the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Nottinghamshire County Council playing a key role in outbreak control, humanitarian assistance, logistics, health and social care, testing, transport and infrastructure, finance, economy, excess death, coordination of local authority services and recovery.
The Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) is chaired by Nottinghamshire Police, sits at the apex of the COVID-19 response structure and is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective multi-agency arrangements to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first meeting of the SCG took place on 13 February 2020. The first meeting of the Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG), which reports in to the SCG and is responsible for enacting the strategic objectives of the SCG and overseeing multiple response sub-groups and cells, took place on 12 March 2020, the day after the WHO declaration of the pandemic. Nottinghamshire County Council published its Local Outbreak Management Plan in June 2020. This has subsequently been refreshed in March 2021 and is available online.
The person or persons with overall direct control of co-ordinating the response.
The Director of Public Health has overall responsibility for the local outbreak response. Please see the COVID-19 contain framework: a guide for local decision-makers for further detail regarding local roles and responsibilities in relation to the prevention, management, and containment of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The amount of money a) spent b) budgeted c) allocated or earmarked on the COVID-19 response in the following years:-
• 2018/2019
None.
• 2019/2020
Minimal spend (not separately identifiable), none budgeted or allocated.
• 2020/2021
None budgeted, allocations became apparent during the year as grants were allocated. Actual spend summarised below, correct as per Delta return for the 2020/21 year-end:
| Service area | £m |
| Adult social care sub total | 48.576 |
| Children’s Social Care sub total | 12.635 |
| Education sub total | 1.777 |
| Public Health sub total | 3.702 |
| Highways and Transport | 1.611 |
| Cultural & related sub total | 1.603 |
| Environment & regulatory – sub total | 4.064 |
| Finance & corporate – subtotal` | 4.254 |
| Other sub-total (includes Shielding) | 0.874 |
| Internal Trading | 3.844 |
| TOTAL SPENDING PRESSURE (General fund) | 82.940 |
• 2021/2022
At the time of writing, in terms of allocations for 2021/22, £21.6m has been earmarked in reserves and there is a main 2021/22 COVID-19 grant of £16.1m, plus the following specific COVID-19 grants:
- £4.1m – Contain Outbreak Management Fund
- £5.8m – Infection Control
- £0.1m – Bus Service Support Grant
- £0.6m – Home to School Transport
- £0.4m – Clinically Extremely Vulnerable
• 2022/2023
At the time of writing, no funding allocated.
• 2023/2024
At the time of writing, no funding allocated.
• 2024/2025
At the time of writing, no funding allocated.
Also, in each year, the category of spend e.g. a) leaflets, street signage etc. b) direct media advertising c) dedicated staff e.g. COVID marshals, or vehicles d) education and courses i) public ii) staff e) other categories (state what).
Breakdown has been provided as available (see response above).
Please state the number of COVID-19 testing centres/stations established and the cost of setting up and maintaining each. State how these costs are met.
At the time of writing, there are 3 static asymptomatic community testing sites in Nottinghamshire County and 4 mobile testing units travel between a number of mobile testing sites, of which 11 are in Nottinghamshire County. All operational costs for asymptomatic testing sites are currently recharged to the Department of Health and Social Care. Costs are contained in overall COVID-19 spend for 2020/21 (see response above).
Symptomatic testing sites are coordinated and directly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Please state the number of COVID-19 vaccination centres/stations established and the cost of setting up and maintaining each. State how these costs are met.
Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group are responsible for the delivery of the vaccination programme, working in partnership with their respective Integrated Care Systems.
In each instance, state the source of the money. e.g. a) council reserves b) central government (state if grant, loan or other (state what)) c) from general taxation (e.g. Council Tax) d) other (state where).
All spend covered by specific or general COVID-19 grants.
Where money was drawn or diverted from other budgets or services, please state specifically which, and amount(s).
None.