Senior politicians will be examining Dudley borough’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic – from PPE to partnership working - at a meeting next week.

Dudley Council’s cabinet will be asked to consider a report from the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee.

For the past two months, the scrutiny committee looked at a number of key issues at the council including stocks of PPE, emergency planning procedures and links with partner organisations.

Cross-party members looked at how the council had responded to the challenges of the pandemic through a scrutiny process which has received national attention. Councillor Patrick Harley, Leader of Dudley Council, said:

"It is really important we look at how we are responding to these unprecedented challenges to see what we have done well and what areas we need to improve.

"We are an open and transparent local authority and sometimes that means asking some very difficult questions at challenging times. We will continue to protect people and support those in need throughout this pandemic.

"The timing of the scrutiny, occurring whilst the pandemic is still very much ongoing, puts Dudley ahead of the curve nationally, but elected members felt it was vital to undertake the work whilst its relevance and impact had most value."

The first of the Covid-19 scrutiny sessions were held on September 3 featuring emergency planning, PPE and communications whilst the October 15 meeting covered scrutiny of the impact on front line council services and the work of partner organisations to ensure a full system-wide scrutiny is undertaken.

The final scrutiny meeting took place on November 4 with a specific focus on how regional partnerships and national government activity has linked up with the local authority’s response to the crisis.

The special meeting of the Cabinet will be held on Monday November 23.