New director of public health at Warwickshire County Council recognised for her response to Covid-19

The new director of public Health at Warwickshire County Council has been recognised for her response to Covid-19.

Dr Shade Agboola, has been recognised for her efforts to manage the Covid-19 pandemic as part of West Midlands Employers (WME) #EverydayHeroes campaign.

Her passion for treating preventable diseases started in Nigeria while working to help prevent children dying from malaria and malnutrition.

She started her role as director of public health at Warwickshire County Council in October 2019.

Dr Shade Agboola said: “It’s been a baptism of fire. When I got the call from Public Health England in late March 2020 informing me about the first case of Covid-19 case in Warwickshire, I never imagined that things would be where they are now.

"That was the beginning of an unbelievable experience for me; I’ve never been so busy and I’m still working every weekend along with Public Health colleagues to ensure that we are providing a round the clock response to the pandemic.

"No amount of training could have prepared me for what was to come, but it’s worth it, especially when you can see the number of cases falling and you know that you are making a difference.”

Before lockdown Shade and the top level of emergency planning group in the council were meeting daily to decide the actions required to implement the Government’s Coronavirus Action Plan.

She spent a lot of time working with partners across Warwickshire – especially the district and borough councils - to ensure everyone was kept up to date.

Dr Agboola said: “At the peak of the pandemic there was so much guidance, it was hard to keep up.

"For example the guidance on the use of PPE changed over time – and was very different in different settings such as care homes, schools or the workplace and this had to be carefully managed.”

It was down to Dr Agboola and her team to translate the government guidance and get it to people who needed it quickly. Much of Shade’s time now is spent on Test and Trace.

She said: “Traditional contact tracing can be very effective and essential to contain local outbreaks.

"We are one of the 11 national Beacon projects, with Coventry and Solihull Councils and the West Midlands Combined Authority, to pilot how we work together on our Outbreak Control Plan.

"Our Plan has now been launched and sets out how we will quickly identify and isolate cases to help us stop and manage outbreaks.”

Commenting on the recent easing of lockdown Dr Agboola said: “I have mixed feelings. The risk is still very much with us.

"But I’m also concerned about the mental health impact on those people who have been shielding for three months now, often with very little human contact.

"I know we’ve had an increase in calls about mental health. So while I do welcome easing of the lockdown, I don’t want anyone to think that this is over – that’s not the case.”

When asked about the PHE findings about people from BAME backgrounds being at higher risk of dying from Covid-19 she commented: “My director of public health annual report will certainly be focused on health inequalities.

"We also still have an NHS that remains a treatment service – more emphasis needs to go into prevention and the entire system needs to change.”

Cllr Les Caborn, portfolio holder for adult social care and health said: “It has been a very challenging time for our employees at the council and a steep learning curve for many.

"As director of public health, Shade has led a fantastic team of colleagues who have taken on a huge responsibility and have worked tirelessly to keep Warwickshire’s residents safe and informed during the pandemic.

“Shade and her team are a brilliant example of doing the best that they can for the community during this difficult time and we are very proud that she has been nominated as a West Midlands Hero, it is truly deserved.”