Agenda item

Ivan McConnell (Director of Transformation and Commercial Development, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust), Angela McNab (Chief Executive, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust) and Ian Ayres (Accountable Officer, NHS West Kent CCG) were in attendance for this item.

(1)       Mr McConnell introduced the presentation.  He explained that the transformation programme was a clinically led programme, delivering a clinical strategy. The programme aimed to provide the right care at the right point by the person with right skills. A multidisciplinary team would work with the individual to provide medical and psychological interventions; nursing, carer and occupational therapy support and enable interactions with social services.

(2)       KMPT outlined the four key aims of the clinical strategy which were:

1. Provide excellent community services close to home or close to home as possible, reducing the number of people who inpatient need care. Where necessary community services would support the length of stay being as short as possible

2. Better service integration and partnership working. KMPT were working with commissioners to enhance primary care mental health support. They were embedding community nurses within GP practices, educating and training nurses and GPs. David Chesover, NHS West Kent CCG lead GP for mental health, had been working with two West Kent consultants to deliver schizoaffective and bipolar disorder training to GPs. They were hoping to roll this out across the county.

3. Improve quality and dignity in services including a high quality therapeutic environment and the promotion of mobile working as demonstrated by the street triage pilot and the police custody liaison services.

4. Expand and enhance the specialist services, where appropriate, to potentially provide those across a wider geographic area.

(3)       The clinical strategy was a benefit-led approach for inpatient, planned care, urgent care/crisis and dementia programmes. In re-designing pathways, KMPT have identified the need to better communicate and engage with patients, demonstrate what the trust has delivered; enhance partnership working and learn from previous experience.

(4)       Members of the Committee then proceeded to ask a series of questions and made a number of comments. One Member had attended the KMPT Board meeting on 30 January 2014 and was concerned that safeguarding was not discussed. In the board papers, a target was set for 80% attendance by KMPT practitioners when invited to a Child Protection conference. It was reported that in Margate and Thanet there was only a 32% attendance rate. Ms McNab explained that safeguarding was absolutely critical.  She explained that at the board meeting, they were unable to drill down into detail. Instead this issue would be picked up by the board’s Quality Committee who would investigate why staff felt it is not imperative to attend. Ms McNab offered to write to Mr Chard about this issue.

(5)       Members expressed concerns that KMPT’s existing service provision had not improved beyond adequate. They felt that KMPT should concentrate on the basics before introducing the transformation programme. Ms McNab explained that KMPT were making changes where necessary ahead of the transformation programme. The new strategy had been developed by clinicians who had the knowledge to deliver the best services. Service users had influenced the development of the strategy. Mr Ayres agreed that the basics should be right before expanding. However he explained that for commissioners it was important not to veto growth, if existing services were not performing as expected. He noted that CCGs across Kent had recognised the strength of leadership and improvement to services under Ms McNab’s leadership.

(6)       Members enquired about the inclusion of dementia in the transformation programme. A KMPT representative assured Members that dementia was a major part of the Transformation Programme. As part of the Transformation Programme, KMPT were developing and enhancing existing dementia services.

(7)       The introduction of a dedicated telephone number, to be used when individuals were exhibiting signs of a mental health episode, was raised. Ms McNab explained that this is something that KMPT would like to see happen; they had successfully piloted a local street triage scheme with the Police. Mr Ayres explained that access to a single number was a national issue. However CCGs were developing strategies for a single point of access to both physical and mental health services.

(8)       RESOLVED that the Committee thanks its guests for their attendance and contributions today along with their answers to the Committee’s questions, and asks for a return visit within six months to give an update on the transformation programme with particular reference to safeguarding and dementia.