Agenda item

Purpose: To keep the Board up to date on progression with the BCF and wider integration programme. Item to include:

·         An update on progress with the BCF Projects

·         The BCF for 2016/17

·         Changes to the Hospital at Home Project

·         Update on the Connected Care Programme

The Board considered a report (Agenda Item 11) which provided an update on the Better Care Fund (BCF) and wider integration programme.

Tandra Forster reported that work was underway on all of the schemes in the West Berkshire BCF programme. Although the two locality projects were currently rated as amber, only one required remedial actions and these had been agreed.

Tandra Forster drew attention to Personal Recovery Guides which were being piloted in the voluntary sector with British Red Cross, AgeUK and the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire (VCWB) to provide this joint service in a pilot phase which commenced on 1st July 2015; all three providers had staff and volunteers in place to deliver this service and had engaged in a publicity campaign to attract users of the service. The pilot was expected to lead to an ongoing contract through competitive tender from April 2016. Take up of the service during this short pilot phase had been gradual as it was taking time for it to become known about. It was felt that the delay in project implementation would mean there would be insufficient data on which to confidently design a service going forward. For this reason the West Berkshire Locality Board had taken a decision in principle to extend the pilot for a further three months, subject to successful negotiations with the providers regarding the terms of the extension.

Tandra Forster went on to report that the Department of Health had confirmed that there would be a BCF for 2016/17. The timetable was proving to be very challenging with the outline financial planning needing to be submitted by the 8th February 2016; however the technical guidance had not yet been received. Shairoz Claridge added that two new national conditions had been applied regarding Delayed Transfers of Care and integrated working. Tandra Forster reported that the Integrated Health and Social Care Hub was being successfully utilised by professionals.

Shairoz Claridge reported that the Rapid Response and Treatment team had received 15 referrals and conducted between six and eight reviews per session.

In response to a question from Councillor Cole, Tandra Forster advised that analysis had been undertaken to identify  care homes responsible for the highest numbers of non-elective admissions. Five had been selected in West Berkshire and the impact of project was being monitored closely. Councillor Cole requested that monitoring reports come to the Board, Shairoz Claridge advised that the data was captured in the Highlight Reports.

Dr Barrie offered an example of the value of the Rapid Response team when called to a care home between Christmas and New Year. She advised that they had excelled in compiling comprehensive notes, working with the patient’s family in order to enable swift decision making. Dr Barrie commented that the care home manager’s main concern in that situation was the staffing pressures that might be caused in order to care for the patient in the care home.

Lise Llewellyn commended the progress that had been reported and commented that the papers provided were confusing as they included projects under Wokingham Borough Council. Tandra Forster advised that historically the Board had requested these to be reported but in the future the high level report and the two locality reports could be presented to the Board.

RESOLVED that the progress report be approved.