Agenda item

To consider a joint report of the Service Director (Adult Social Care) Stockport Council and the Chief Operating Officer (Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group)

The report outlines the approach taken to compile the latest submission of Stockport’s Better Care Fund Plan (BCF) which is due for submission to NHS England by the 19th September 2014. The latest submission requires further detail and analysis of how the BCF will be used and the impact this will have on headline measures regarding emergency admissions as well as the impact on Adult Social Care.

The draft submission templates will be circulated ‘to follow’.

Stockport Health & Wellbeing Board is recommended to:

(a)  Note and Comment on the draft Better Care Fund Plan;

(b)  Approve the Stockport’s draft Better Care Fund Plan for submission to NHS England.

(c)  Delegate responsibility to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board to approve any further amendments to the submission prior to the 19th September as identified by the Director of Adult Social Care (SMBC) and Chief Operating Officer (Stockport CCG).

Officer contact: Tim Ryley; 0161 426 5573; Tim.ryley@nhs.net 

Tim Ryley, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance, Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group, attended the meeting to provide an update to the Board on the development of the Better Care Fund Plan. The Plan would be submitted to NHS England on 19 September 2014. The latest iteration of the submission was provided to the Board along with a summary of the key issues and outstanding items (copies of which had been circulated).

The key issues identified in the summary

·         Setting the ambition for reductions in non-elective admissions.

·         Setting the ambition for other metrics.

·         Agreeing the distribution of the fund and impacts.

·         Agreeing risk sharing arrangements.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The proposals had been subject to extensive discussion. The current iteration was a more realistic reflection of what was achievable. As a consequence this has meant that the Council has had to adjust its approach in its Medium Term Financial Plan.

·         Behind the figures contained in the submission the planned improvements in services, such as the falls service, would have a significant impact on people’s quality of life. The falls service was an example of relatively small investments having a significant impact on outcomes. Previous work by Age UK in this respect should be used to inform the development of the service.

·         It was useful to consider the BCF in the broader preventative agenda, particularly as the admission into hospital for an older person, particularly for a fall, was often the precursor to a decline in their overall health so admission should be seen as a last resort.

·         NHS England were likely to seek further reassurance about engagement and buy-in from stakeholders in the development of the plan, particularly in relation to the 3.5% admission reduction, as to fail to achieve this target will lead to further cost pressures. It should be borne in mind that there the plan required contingency funds to cover the costs of the Foundation Trust should they fail to meet the target, which would be a significant challenge for them.

·         What would the Board be able to do in the event of the 3.5% target not being met? The wider system needed to ensure that risk was being placed where it was appropriate.

·         Due to the overall financial profile of the local health economy, it was likely that the submission would be approved subject to conditions, due to the risks in the local health economy.

RESOLVED – (1) That approval be given to the draft Better Care Fund Plan for submission to NHS England, subject to the provisions of the additional note circulated at the meeting, and that the Chair and Vice Chair be authorised to approve any further amendments to the submission as identified by the Director of Adult Social Care (Stockport Council) and Chief Operating Officer (Stockport CCG) prior to the 19 September deadline.

(2) That the gratitude of the Board be extended to all those officers involved in the preparation of the Better Care Fund submission.