Issue - meetings

Councillor Butt, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, arrived during this item.

Sharon Morrow, Chief Operating Officer Barking and Dagenham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), presented the update and explained how this was the first time that the planning process had been for a two-year period. The report flagged the financial position of the Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and Havering CCGs and the risks associated with the operating plan requirement to deliver the financial control total for 2017/18 and 2018/19.  This would require a savings requirement of £55m in 2017/18, which equated to around £15m for Barking and Dagenham CCG.  £35m of the £55m savings requirement related to the BHRUT contract. 

The Board’s attention was drawn to the Operating Plan Priorities for the commitments for primary care, urgent and emergency care, referral to treatment and elective care, cancer, mental health and learning disabilities. 

The Board was also informed that the planning guidance for the Better Care Fund should be received imminently but that it was generally expected be an evolution of earlier versions and was likely to also cover the period 2017 to 2019.  A number of national conditions, targets and metrics would need to be achieved, the details of which were set out in the report. 

The Board questioned the targets set out in the mental health commitments as these seemed low.  Sharon advised that these were the Government’s minimum national standards and achievement in some areas was already higher, as an example the target for those ‘people experiencing their first episode of psychosis beginning treatment with a care package’ had been expanded from 50% last year to 53% this year.  Locally performance was already achieving above that standard and work was continuing with NELFT to improve delivery further. 

Anne Bristow, Strategic Director for Development and Integration, stated that Head Teachers within the Borough continually raise concern about the need for mental health support for children and young people.  Anne stressed that the earlier support was provided to children and young people, the more positive the outcomes and life chances for those concerned would be and the less support they may require at a later stage. 

The Chair reminded the Board that concern had been expressed previously about the effect that the STP and the effect of the BCF locally.

Conor Burke, Chief Operating Officer B&DCG, advised that an initial ‘early thoughts’ meeting had taken place the previous week and that work was continuing to clarify several issues around commissioning options and discretionary services.  This was a significant component of priority setting and was being driven by the unprecedented £55m funding reduction.  Conor advised that it was hoped that some ‘in principle’ agreements would emerge shortly in regards to what would be done, how we would do it and, perhaps more importantly, what would we may stop doing.  A further update report would be provided at the next Board meeting.

The Board raised concern about the Governments low expectations and felt that the targets locally needed to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61