IN BRIEF
NEW COUNCIL LEADER AND CONSTITUTION APPROVED
THE NURSE WHO CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS
Wirral Council have appointed a new leader and rubberstamped a major change in how it will operate during an online full Council meeting .
Cllr Janette Williamson , a Labour councillor representing Liscard ward since 2012 , has now taken over as Council leader , replacing Cllr Pat Hackett .
The hearing also voted through a change in the constitution which means the council will now be led by a committee system rather than the ‘ Strong Leader / Cabinet ’ model which had been in place for the previous decade .
In a further development last night , Cllr Tony Smith and Cllr George Davies were also asked to continue to serve at Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Wirral for the remainder of the civic year , until May 2021 .
Cllr Williamson said : “ Council voted to move back to the committee system last year in an effort to introduce a more accountable and transparent way of working and collaborative policy and decisionmaking . I am becoming council leader at a time when the leader ’ s role is changing so I see this as an exciting and challenging opportunity to help shape how elected members work together to make a difference to people ’ s lives .
" We are living through a time of great crisis with COVID-19 and all that brings , not least the long-term impact it will undoubtedly have on the local economy even once it is over . But even as we continue to guide and support residents and businesses through another challenging period caused by the pandemic , there is still much we can look forward to in Wirral . We have fantastic regeneration plans ahead of us . We have a local plan which will provide much needed housing for residents and we have security for our care workers as we have pledged to pay them the Real Living Wage .
" We have a community bank and community wealth building strategy . We have amazing officers , staff , care workers , NHS staff , entrepreneurs and more importantly the determination to make Wirral grow and flourish not despite , but because of all the challenges that face us . Now is the time for elected members to embrace this new way of working together in support of each and every one of those people we serve .”
The new council leader , Cllr Williamson , will chair the Policy and Resources committee , with the Deputy Leader of Wirral Council , Cllr Anita Leech , also serving as deputy on that committee .
Perhaps the most uplifting memory of the COVID-19 pandemic were the rounds of applause that sound-tracked streets up and down the country every Thursday night , as communities acknowledged the incredible dedication of our healthcare workers .
One of those was Hoylake resident Viv Harrison , who had been enjoying retirement before COVID-19 came along . When she realised the scale of the challenge facing the country , she re-registered as a nurse especially to help support the response to the virus .
Viv said : “ Even though I was retired , I didn ’ t just want to sit back , I wanted to help ”.
She was assigned to work at Bidston Covid Satellite testing site which opened in early May and was the first testing facility in Wirral , initially set up to prioritise key workers . The site was staffed by Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust workers , comprising mainly of people from the Dental and 0-19 Health and Wellbeing Service teams . Student nurses also worked at the site for three months and security was provided by former Tranmere Rovers FC stewards . Viv managed the testing site alongside her colleague Noel Murphy , also a registered nurse .
“ For the first few months we saw 45 to 80 people a day ” said Viv . “ However from September the numbers increased massively and we were having up to 330 people attending .
“ The team worked with such enthusiasm and professionalism ” explains Viv . “ Many people who visited us to get a test were anxious but even from behind a mask , a smile from the eyes can be very reassuring . The test is very simple and comprises of just a quick swab . The whole process takes only about 15 minutes .”
Once the swabs have been completed they are transported by a courier to a laboratory in Belfast . The increase in demand has led to some longer waits for results for some but the majority of people receive their test results within 72 hours . For Viv , her retirement will have to wait for a while yet . She is currently undertaking flu immunisation e-learning and will be part of a team offering clinic sessions to NHS staff .
“ It is sad to leave the Bidston testing team as we have all formed a strong bond ” said Viv . " But we ' ve all got new challenges ahead . I ' m confident with the spirit and dedication I ' ve witnessed first-hand , we can beat this virus ."
6 wirrallife . com