The purpose of this report is to share the 2025 Health Protection Assurance Forum’s (HPAF) Annual Report with the Board.  This serves to update the Herefordshire Health and Wellbeing Board on health protection system performance, achievements, and risks for 2025, as well as areas of development for 2026.

Rob Davies presented the slides 'Health Protection Assurance Forum Annual Report 2025' (link), under the headings: Report overview; Key achievements; Example: ‘what good looks like’ audit; Challenges and risks; Future focus; and Questions.

The Chairperson drew attention to the following:

i.             Referring to the future focus ‘to secure a new breast screening site in Hereford City’, it was noted that an assurance had been sought about the intention to recall people that may have missed appointments during the temporary interruption in service provision in Hereford (minute 6 of 9 June 2025 refers (link)).

ii.            A potential error was identified in the annual report sentence ‘In 2024-2025 Turning Point received 956 referrals into service, this is 16% more than the previous year (153 in 2023-24)’. 

[Note: it was confirmed subsequently that this should read ‘In 2024-2025, Turning Point received 1,121 referrals, representing a 5% increase compared with 2023–2024, when the service received 1,065 referrals (a rise of 56 referrals).’]

There was a brief discussion about workforce cohorts eligible for the seasonal flu vaccination.

Resolved:

That the health protection system performance, achievements, and risks for 2025, as well as areas of focus for 2026 be noted.