Issue - meetings

Dr Nadeem Moghal, Medical Director, BHRUT, left during this item and took no further part in the meeting.

Mr Conor Burke, Chief Accountable Officer, Barking and Dagenham, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was pleased to advise that the Systems Resilience Group, (a partnership of the CCGs, providers. local authorities, GP Federations, out-of-hours provider (PELC), London Ambulance Service, Healthwatch and the Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC)), had been successful in its application to become a national urgent care Vanguard. 

Mr Burke explained that urgent and emergency care (UEC) was a key challenge for the health economy and its performance targets and the BHR urgent care conference, held on 1 July 2015, had gathered views on the transformation of the service during the next five years.  The key themes that had emerged from that conference were:

·  A desire to simplify pathways through co-design.

·  Maximise the digital and technology opportunities.

·  Self-care support.

·  Aligned contracts to support integrated delivery.

·  Development of the workforce to meet future needs.

Mr Burke highlighted the key comments made by delegates at the conference on how they saw the UEC currently and where they would wish it to be in 2020 and these were provided in were provided in more detail in the report.  He added that it was accepted that the current situation was confusing and fragmented and this had resulted in people using hospital accident and emergency departments, rather than alternative provision.  Following the conference the opportunity had arose to bid to become an UEC Vanguard.

Mr Burke advised that Vanguard had four core principles: clinical engagement, patient involvement, local ownership and national support.  Vanguard sites were given access to a national support package and would be encouraged to deliver innovation quickly and this would include opportunities for radical care redesign and the removal of artificial barriers to change.  Ultimately this would provide freedom and flexibility to drive change, including procurement and information sharing.  In addition to the practical support offered by the national teams, there would be an opportunity to bid for support form a £200m Transformation Fund.

John Atherton, NHS England, congratulated the Systems Resilience Group and commented that the bid had been won against stiff competition.

It was noted that there would be a visit in October to see what needed to be done to deliver the aims and to develop the business case further.

The Chair commented that this was a really exciting opportunity that would enable further joint working opportunities and pilots with Partners.

The Board received the report and noted:

(i)  That the System Resilience Group had been successful in its application to become the first national urgent and emergency care (UEC) Vanguard in London; and

(ii)  That Vanguard status would provide a platform from which to implement the findings of the recent BHR Urgent Care Conference and would also provide an opportunity to look at the streamlining and simplification of the urgent care system and access for patients.