Agenda item

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

Alex Francis, Project Coordinator, Healthwatch B&NES addressed the Select Committee, a summary of her update is set out below.

Healthwatch B&NES Annual Report 2015-16

She said that the third year of The Care Forum’s contract to provide Healthwatch B&NES has been its most successful yet, with an 89% increase in the amount of patient and public engagement work carried out compared to the previous year.

She said that strong collaboration between staff, partners and volunteers has been the main contributor to the project’s success. Although a small project team, the dedication and commitment of its volunteers has enabled us to carry out six Enter and View visits to care homes across the district, and receive over 240 individual comments covering all aspects of health and social care, from GPs to hospital, care homes to community based support. We are pleased to say that last year also saw recruitment of eight new Healthwatch volunteers, increasing the project’s volunteer base by around 30%.

Healthwatch B&NES priorities 2016-17

The Healthwatch B&NES advisory group met in June to set the priorities for the project during 2016-17. These priorities have been selected in line with the strategic focus established by the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Board, the feedback that Healthwatch B&NES has gathered over the last 12 months and The Care Forum’s organisational objectives.

The three priority areas for Healthwatch B&NES this year will be:

Mental health – with particular focus on the new inpatient development at Combe Park; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS); and the lived experiences of mental health service users and their carers – with the aim that this will feed into the B&NES Mental Health Collaborative Alliance

Access to services – specifically implementation and impact of the Accessible Information Standard legislation

Urgent care – including people’s experiences of using three main points of access: NHS 111, community pharmacists and NHS Choices.

Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP)

Over the last couple of months Healthwatch B&NES has been working in conjunction with Healthwatch Swindon and Healthwatch Wiltshire to explore the role that it can take in supporting development of the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire STP.

There is a valuable role for Healthwatch to play in engaging with the public and voluntary sector regarding the STP. In addition to meeting with James Scott, STP strategic lead, and colleagues at NHS BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group, representatives from the three Healthwatch projects across the footprint have also been invited to sit on the STP Board.

At present it is anticipated that engagement around the STP will begin in September. In the meantime Healthwatch B&NES is working closely with partners to ensure that engagement is a key part of this process.

Councillor Lin Patterson asked what role Healthwatch plays in terms of prevention. In particular, she asked their view regarding funding for over 18 year olds leaving CAMHS. She said that this should be focussed upon prior to it becoming a crisis.

Alex Francis replied that this was a national priority as well as being part of key plans locally. She said that in its role Healthwatch are not able to lobby, but they can share feedback received with providers. She added that they intend to work with the seldom heard on discussions about the STP and CAMHS.

Tracey Cox added that as part of the Your Care, Your Way project CAMHS would be re-procured and that they would look at the subject of transitions.

Councillor Tim Ball commented that he had experience with children who have mental health issues and said there was a lack of information available to the public regarding ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). He said that he felt these needed to be picked up earlier to prevent further problems.

Councillor Paul May suggested that at a future meeting the Select Committee receives a presentation from The Care Forum on their new management structure.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson commented on the subject of CAMHS that she would pass to Alex Francis her notes from a meeting with a local youth worker.

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