Agenda item

This report sets out information for the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Board to consider the impact of winter on the Bath Health Community and the RUH during  2013/14.

The Chairman invited Dr Simon Douglass to introduce the report.

The Chairman also invited Dominic Morgan (Clinical Commissioning Group), Clare O’Farrell (RUH Bath) and Helen Mee (Sirona) to give a presentation to the Board (attached as Appendix to these minutes).

The Board made the following comments:

The Chairman welcomed the presentation and said that many organisations had been working together to improve the service.  The Chairman asked what plans had been put in place for January 2015.

Councillor Romero commented that mainly older population were in a need for these services and asked if there was any impact on paediatric services within urgent care. 

Councillors Romero and Hall also asked about the effect that mild winter had on urgent care.

Dominic Morgan responded that there was no significant impact on paediatric unit within urgent care.  Dominic Morgan also explained about planning on capacity with urgent care for older patients.

Dominic Morgan explained that despite of having mild winter this year there was still a significant demand for urgent care.  The demand had been similar as it would be in winter period though not with peaks in the urgent care demand which occurred during cold snaps in previous years.

John Holden commented that some airline companies suffer significant losses during winter period, though they make significant profits during summer period, which was all part of the planned forecast.  John Holden suggested that the NHS bodies should take the same approach and plan better for winter periods in terms of necessary resources rather than waiting for crisis to happen, and then react.

Dominic Morgan responded that we would have to be realistic as these systems were quite complex health care systems.  The point made about business case from some airline companies was a valid.  Dominic Morgan said that one of the biggest challenges had been about staffing levels during winter months.  It had been quite difficult to bring the staff on just for that period of the year, because all of the staff needed to go through a proper training before they start working.  The biggest challenge for all providers during the winter months was about workforce.

Clare O’Farrell commented that the RUH had received a lot of funding from the government, to deal with Urgent Care, and explained how that funding had been invested in different services for the benefit of patients.

Helen Mee explained to the Board about the work that Sirona had been undertaking in terms of the development of the Virtual Ward and Multi-Disciplinary Team.  Helen Mee also said that Health Visitor for active ageing had been in place since February.

It was RESOLVED to note the report and presentation and to receive a further update in six months.