Issue - meetings

Sharon Morrow presented the report, which provided a further update on the development of the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (NEL STP)  and drew the Boards attention to the public facing summary of progress attached as Appendix A to the report.  Work was now progressing to bring the five year plan into reality and to align with the pilot and devolution programmes. 

Sharon advised that the NEL STP was due to be submitted on 21 October 2016.  Work that still had to be done included mitigating the financial risk and strengthening the local Primary Care and Mental Health needs, following recent CQC inspections and government reports.  In addition, a number of work streams and prevention priorities proposals were being developed across NEL.  Sharon indicated that the proposals would be presented to Partners in October.

Anne Bristow raised concern about the mix and plans that were evolving as they did not give any assurance about local needs being met, in addition, the governance process that had worked well locally had also not been mirrored in the NHS system nationally.  The Chair raised the governance issue of one local council Chief Executive representing all eight local authorities and said this was not feasible because of differing local demographics, health demands and priorities.  Ceri Jacobs advised that NHS England recognised that action and decision needed to remain at local level, for example through commissioning, and felt that the workshops planned for October would provide a good platform for discussing such concerns. 

The Board:

(i)  Received the report on the progress to date, set out in Appendix A to the report, and noted:

(a)  The Plan was scheduled to be submitted on 21 October 2016;

(b)  Work was to be undertaken on mitigation of the financial risks, local primary care issues and, in view of the recent reports, the strengthening of the mental health sections; and

(ii)  Noted that NHS England recognised the need for local needs to be met and LBBD’s concern in regards to proposed governance issues, such as all eight local authorities being represented by one council’s Chief Executive, and that NHS England had suggested this could be considered at the Local Government Association workshops in October 2016.