Agenda item

The Select Committee will receive an update from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) on current issues.

Dr Ian Orpen addressed the Select Committee. A copy of the update can be found on their Minute Book and as an online appendix to these minutes;- a summary of the update is set out below.

New rapid response falls service

This month, a new pilot service has launched in B&NES - the Falls Rapid Response Team – to assist people aged over 65 years who fall while at home. Since the pilot began on 2 May, the team has already helped 39 patients.

The team includes a specialist paramedic and an occupational therapist and can respond to up to four people in B&NES each day. The team helps the person get comfortable, and carries out a home-based falls risk assessment to recommend any necessary interventions that could help prevent future falls.

The pilot is the result of collaboration between BaNES CCG, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Virgin Care and Bath’s Royal United Hospital. It operates between 8am and 6pm, seven days per week.

HANDiApp launches in B&NES

A free smartphone app launched in B&NES at the end of March to help parents and carers of young children access expert advice about the six most common childhood illnesses. Since its launch, over 4,000 people have downloaded it.

We know that 34 per cent of all users have used Handi App for advice on dealing with high temperatures, and 17 per cent have used it for information on newborn problems and chestiness in children over one year old.

The paediatric HANDiApp is also available for health care professionals who care for young children. So far, there have been over 900 downloads by community healthcare professionals and almost 850 uses of the hospital pathway. This pathway gives medical advice using a traffic-light system based on the seriousness of the symptoms presented.

The project team – involving staff from the CCG, Council, RUH and Wiltshire CCG – will assess whether the emergency department (especially paediatric emergencies) and/or GPs perceive that attendance by children with high temperature, chestiness, newborn problems, diarrhoea and vomiting and tummy pain has reduced.

Antimicrobial resistance

BaNES CCG has the highest proportion of Antibiotic Guardians in the country according to Public Health England (PHE) data for 2016. A total of 134 out of every 100,000 B&NES residents has pledged to do their part in tackling antibiotic resistance.

The CCG and Council have also been shortlisted for a PHE Antibiotic Guardian award for their work with primary schools in B&NES. The children designed posters to illustrate what they had learned and these posters were displayed in locations all around B&NES. The general public were encouraged to ‘hunt’ for the posters and upload photographs of them to social media.

Cyber attack

On Friday 12 May, the NHS became one of a number of targets of a malware attack. NHS Digital led the response, in close connection with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department of Health and NHS England.

While no NHS organisations in the B&NES area were reported to have been directly affected by the virus, NHS Digital took action to protect GPs’ computer systems. Practice computers received a “forced patch” software fix in the days immediately after the attack.

Communications from NHS England indicate that Trusts in the South were impacted minimally with only a small number of postponed procedures/appointments. 

AGM Invite

The CCG’s annual general meeting is taking place on the morning of Thursday 27 July at Somerdale Pavilion, Keynsham. All members of the Health & Wellbeing Select Committee are invited to attend.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson offered her congratulations to those involved for protecting residents and organisations from the cyber attack. She asked if the block relating to NHS emails had been lifted.

The Democratic Services Officer replied that it had.

Councillor Lin Patterson asked when the public would be able to see the joint plan in response to the Urgent and Emergency Care requirements set within the Five Year Forward View next steps paper if initial drafts were required to be submitted to the NHS England by 9 June and final plans by the 16th June. 

Dr Ian Orpen replied that he was not sure of the dates concerned and felt that those given now might be put back due to the upcoming General Election. He added that he wished to reassure the Select Committee that no major reconfigurations were planned for the area and that those involved recognise the need to engage.

Councillor Bryan Organ acknowledged the new falls service and asked if any preventative work was still carried out.

Dr Ian Orpen replied that this work remains ongoing through Active Ageing and is delivered through Virgin Care. He acknowledged that preventative work was important.

Councillor Geoff Ward asked how he could become an Antibiotic Guardian.

Dr Ian Orpen replied that he would ensure that the website link was circulated to the Select Committee.

Councillor Geoff Ward asked if any further information could be given as to how locally we had not been affected by the recent cyber attack.

Dr Ian Orpen replied that he believed that organisations that were operating under Windows 7 rather than XP had been better protected as XP is no longer supported by Microsoft.  Therefore there had been no reported direct impact of the cyber attack in B&NES.

The Chair thanked Dr Orpen for the update on behalf of the Select Committee.