Agenda item

Councillor M. Butt arrived during this item.

Bob Champion, Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development and Melody Williams, Integrated Care Director, NELFT jointly presented the report, which provided an overview of the Quality Improvement Plan that had been put into place following the CQC Comprehensive Inspection of NELFT during April 2016.  That Inspection had resulted in an overall CQC rating of ‘Requires Improvement’.  The priority areas for action had centred on:

·  The safe and effective assessment and management of clinical risk across all mental health services, especially in acute wards for adults of working age;

·  Care plans that reflect patient needs and include patient contribution;

·  The ward and environmental ligature reduction programme was expedited and risk assessments are known and understood by staff;

·  Clean and safe clinical environment in the adolescent unit;

·  Providing facilities and an environment to promote recovery, without any blanket restrictions;

·  Safer staffing and improved governance in regards to reporting of clinical risk;

·  Improved reporting of incidents in the adolescent unit;

·  Improving the assessment of needs and planning of care in some services;

·  Application of the ‘fit and proper person’ test.

NELFT drew attention to the significant improvement at Brookside, as detailed in the report, which had enabled it to be reopened in October 2016.

The Chair commended NELFT for its positive and rapid response when the Inspection report had been received, the work undertaken with partners to produce its quality improvement action plan and the effort and focus staff had given to resolve the issues.

Frances Carroll, Healthwatch, drew attention to paragraph 2.9 of the report and that CCG had not yet confirmed any further contract reductions for NELFT service within the CCG recent published service plans to achieve the savings required.  Frances asked if it was known what cuts would be expected and when we would be advised.  Sarah D’ Souza, CCG, advised that a collaborative partnership board had been set up to look at moving away from the traditional ‘salami slicing’ of budgets and towards a more holistic and innovative approach to achieving £2.2m savings with NELFT.  The potential savings would include a vigorous challenge by the clinicians to check the impact, feasibility and safety of each area of change.  Parity of Esteem funding has been used to fund crisis pathways and work was also ongoing in regards to safer clinical wards. 

The Chair advised that this collaborative board would report into the Integrated Partnership Board, which she also chairs.  Once the draft business plan had been compiled, consultation would be undertaken.  The Chair stressed that the anticipated £55m savings were not going to be easy to find and decisions would need to be made on where the effect of cuts could be mitigated and innovation used to provide safe and effective services.

Councillor Turner, LBBD Cabinet Member for Corporate Performance and Delivery, asked if there was any further information on what we must do, should do and would like to do for the NELFT services.  The Chair suggested that additional information could be found through the electronic links detailed in the reports but should those links not provide the information required then contact should be made with the appropriate officer.

The Board:

(i)  Noted the rapid progress that had been made to improve from a CQC ‘Requires Improvement’ overall rating, which included the reopening of Brookside, and the ongoing work on the quality improvement action plan; and

(ii)  Noted that a further report would be presented from Barking, Havering and Redbridge (BHR) CCG, possibly to the next meeting, on the options to meet NELFT savings target.