Agenda and minutes

The Chairman drew the Board’s attention to a late paper concerning the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust consultation on outpatient services in East Kent. The Chairman apologised for the lateness of the paper, and drew the Board’s attention to its earlier resolution that it should be at least sighted on significant reconfiguration proposals. This particular paper was solely to be noted.

Apologies for absence were received from Dr F Armstrong, Cllr J Cunningham, Dr L Lunt and Cllr P Watkins.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Kent HWB held on 12 February 2014 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)          Dr R Stewart and Mr Gough introduced the report and gave a short presentation about the Kent Better Care Fund submission.  The presentation included an outline of: the Kent Vision for the future of health and social care; finance and budget issues; metrics for monitoring performance; the assurance process; and the next steps in the submission process.

(2)       The HWB had previously considered a draft submission to the Better Care Fund at its meeting on 12 February 2014.  On 6 March 2014 a joint letter had been received by the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and Adult Social Care outlining the outcomes of the assurance process.  Further assurance was required across a number of areas and steps had been taken to ensure these issues were addressed in the final draft plan being considered.  The final plan had to be submitted to NHS England by 4 April 2014 together with the CCG’s commissioning plans.  Following the submission, further work would be required within each care economy to develop detailed implementation plans.

(3)       Ms Cox identified the need to ensure that the social care element of the Better Care Fund plans dovetailed with CCG plans; the need to work with acute care providers to understand the impact changes in care provision would have on hospital admissions; and the need for clear governance of the significantly larger funds due to be committed to BCF in 2015-16.  Mr E Howard-Jones undertook to lead a group to consider governance and risk issues and report to the HWB in September 2014.

(4)       Concerns about the lack of public health integration within the BCF submission were also raised.  Although most of the public health elements had been included, it was suggested they could be simplified and aligned with health commissioning in relation to winter warmth, social isolation and falls prevention and more explicitly stated in the Better Care Fund submission.  Mr Scott-Clark undertook to circulate revisions to the BCF submission to better reflect the public health elements.

(5)       The importance of mental health issues and a need to understand how the integration plans could be implemented at scale and pace were also identified.

(6)       RESOLVED

(a)       That the Better Care Fund Plan be agreed and endorsed for submission to NHS England subject to no objections being received to the proposed re-wording of the public health elements that was to be circulated.

(b)       That the clear commitment to closer integration across health and social care and the radical transformation evident in the Better Care Fund Plan be endorsed resulting in the citizens of Kent being able to expect:

•           Better access – co-designed integrated teams working 24/7 around GP practices

•           Increased independence – supported by agencies working together

•           More control – empowerment for citizens to self-manage

•           Improved care at home – 15% reduction for acute admissions and long term care placements, rapid community response particularly for people with dementia

•           To live and die safely at home – supported by anticipatory care plans

•           No  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

The Health and Wellbeing Board is asked to discuss and endorse the following commissioning plans:

Seven clinical commissioning group plans

Adult Social Care Commissioning Plan

NHS England Area Team Commissioning Plan

(1)          The Board received presentations on the proposed commissioning plans from North Kent (Swale CCG and Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG), West Kent, East Kent (Ashford, Canterbury and Coastal, Thanet and South Kent Coast CCGs), Adult Social Care and NHS England. 

(2)          RESOLVED that the commissioning plans be endorsed.

(1)       Michael Thomas-Sam (Strategic Policy Adviser) introduced the report which invited the HWB to consider a proposal by the Children’s Health and Wellbeing Board (formerly Children and Young People’s Joint Commissioning Board), that it be considered as an informal working group of the HWB that would focus on children’s services.

(2)       Concerns were raised about the use of the word “informal” and about the detailed governance arrangements for the operation of the proposed children’s health and wellbeing board. 

(3)       RESOLVED

(a)       That the report be noted

(b)       That the proposal that the Children’s Health and Wellbeing Board should operate as an informal working group to the Kent HWB as outlined in paragraph 3.4 of the report be endorsed.

(1)       The report presented a summary of the Consultation on Outpatient Services in East Kent and outlined the previous formal involvement of the HWB.

(2)       Resolved that the report be noted.