Agenda item

Members are asked to consider the information presented within the report and note the key issues described.

Alex Francis, Interim General Manager addressed the Select Committee, a summary of her update is set out below.

Partnership working

Healthwatch is working with NHS B&NES CCG and B&NES Enhanced Medical Services (BEMS+) to host a joint public event in January. This event will provide an opportunity for interested parties to review the first year of the pilot project, Primary Care: Preparing for the Future. Two public events took place in spring 2015, prior to the pilot starting, to gather feedback on how the pilot should look and any specific considerations it should make to support the most vulnerable or ‘at risk’ patients.

Supporting quality

Healthwatch has a volunteer representative on the NHS B&NES Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Quality Committee. This committee carries out a ‘deep dive’ every month on a specific service in order to identify good practice and service improvements. Healthwatch has contributed two detailed reports during this quarter, sharing patient and public experiences on services provided by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and Arriva Transport Solutions – South West.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter – Work is continuing on the Charter; Healthwatch B&NES and The Care Forum’s Voluntary Sector Service have been supporting New Hope and St Mungos Broadway to promote focus groups with service users and the voluntary sector to discuss the draft charter.

It is hoped that the charter will provide a reference point for service users and their families/ carers to understand what support they can expect from mental health professionals and service providers. The charter will provide a tool for service users and their families to ‘review’ their experience against and an evaluation method for mental health professionals, service providers and commissioners to use to assess the quality of their treatment and service provision.

She informed the Select Committee that the current contract for Healthwatch was due end in March 2016 and that they were awaiting a decision on funding. She added that she hoped that they would be able to continue with all their current work.

Councillor Paul May asked who provides the funding for Healthwatch.

Alex Francis replied that it was B&NES Council.

Councillor Paul May said that he felt it currently worked exceedingly well on behalf of patients within the Council.

Councillor Lin Patterson said that she thought that they provided a valuable service.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that she was concerned over the lack of clarity over the contract given the close proximity of March. She stated that she would like the current contract to be continued.

Alex Francis stated that Healthwatch would still exist, but it would be a matter of who provides the service and represents them.

The Director of Adult Care and Health Commissioning said that an update should be sought from the Strategy & Performance department as to the current status of funding negotiations.

Alex Francis said the decision relating to funding was likely to be given next week.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that a long contract would be of benefit to provide a continuity of service.

The Chair thanked Alex Francis for her update on behalf of the Select Committee.