Issue - meetings

The appendices to this item are included in the ‘Supporting Documents’ pack.

By Minute 23, 6 September 2017, the Board had supported the case for a target for social care related discharge delays in the order of 44 to 45 days total per month.  Mark Tyson, LBBD, Commissioning Director, Adults’ Care and Support, reminded the Board that this was not in line with NHS England’s expectations at that time of ‘maintenance’ from the previous year, because of their selection of a restricted three-month baseline window.  NHS England’s had threatened to rate the Plan as non-compliant, which would potentially have impacted on the funding available to social care through the Improved Better Care Fund.  This was despite the case that had been made that a more stringent target risked unsafe discharges.  In response to the NHS England view point the Council and CCG had proposed a compromise in which the difference between the current social care performance and the NHS England target would be shared between the two organisations, the details of which were set out in the report.  The Plan had subsequently been accepted by NHS England.

The Board:

(i)  Noted that submission of the Better Car Fund (BCF) Plan and that the approval from NHS England had now been received;

(ii)  Noted the steps taken to ensure the Plan’s compliance with NHS England requirements, particularly the redistribution of the delayed transfers of care days target between social care and health  However, the Board still had concerns about the focus on hospital discharge targets and noted that lobbying of the government would continue; and

(iii)  Noted the data on performance was expected to be published by the government on 9 November and the continuing uncertainty in the scope and criteria of the November ‘review’ by NHS England, the need for a sustained focus on performance, and the potential for inclusion in the national review programme should performance drop.