Agenda item

(1)       The report presented the first draft of the Kent Better Care Fund (BCF) plan and outlined the further steps required in advance of the final submission.

(2)       Dr Robert Stewart gave a presentation about the Integration Pioneer project and the steering group’s proposed model of integrated services. This was followed by short presentations from North, East and West Kent about their proposals for integrating services and putting the patient at the centre of care.

(3)       During the discussion the following points were made:

·        The submission to the Better Care Fund needed to be clearer about the way in which some of the proposed schemes would be implemented and on their impact on citizens;

·        The submission also lacked sufficient detail to explain adequately what would be different;

·        Some detail was not yet available and would take time to develop;

·        The case studies quoted in the submission were relatively simple ones and the submission could be enhanced by the inclusion of case studies showing the management of people with complex and multiple conditions; 

·        As the BCF was being funded by transferring resources from elsewhere there was a need to be clear about how integrated services would be delivered to avoid increasing the risk to providers and users of current services where budgets had been top sliced;

·        There was a need to involve other agencies such as acute hospital trusts and the South East Coast Ambulance Service to ensure the correct vertical and horizontal integration;

·        Delivering services using multi-disciplinary teams would require changes to medical and nursing education as well as the development and teaching of leadership skills for managing multi-disciplinary teams;

·        The long term role of community care and the associated manpower planning needed further consideration; and

·        The integration of the community and voluntary sector needed to be explored further and included in the submission.

(4)       RESOLVED:

(a)       That the first draft of the Better Care Fund plan be agreed for submission to NHS England subject to the inclusion of the points made during the discussion;

(b)       That progress to achieve a final submission be noted and the plan for continued activity be endorsed.