Agenda item

To consider the attached report.  The Better Care Fund Plan sets out the vision for integrated services in B&NES up to 2020 and how the Improved Better Care Fund grant monies will be utilised to support the Better Care Fund plan.

The plan is due to be submitted to NHS England on 11 September 2017 as part of the assurance process for 2017-2019.  Agreement is sought to delegate final sign off, as in previous years, to the Co-Chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the final submission, following feedback received at the Board. 

11:35am – 25 mins – Caroline Holmes

The Board considered a report regarding the Better Care Fund Plan 2017/19 which set out the vision for integrated services in B&NES up to 2020 and how the Improved Better Care Fund grant monies (iBCF) will be utilised to support the Better Care Fund Plan.

Additional funding has been awarded for adult social care and certain conditions have to be met.  Spending will need to demonstrate how it will improve performance against the following four national metric measures:

·  Delayed transfers of care

·  Non-elective admissions to hospital

·  Admissions to residential and nursing homes

·  The effectiveness of reablement

One of the main areas of focus is around patients leaving hospital, how well this works and ensuring that best practice is being followed.

The Better Care Fund schemes all have plans and these are aligned where relevant with CCG QIPP schemes and the Council Savings schemes.

The Plan has to be submitted by 11 September 2017 and provisional feedback from NHS England is positive with only a few minor amendments being suggested.

The following issues were then discussed:

·  It was noted that the higher level of grant funding in the first year is to support the necessary transformational change.

·  Tracey Cox stated that this is a very complex piece of work and is a robust plan.

·  Hayley Richards pointed out that there are twice as many delayed transfers for mental health patients than for patients in acute care.  She requested that consideration be given as to how this issue might be addressed.  The report author agreed to consider this matter in the context of the Better Care Fund Plan.

·  Bruce Laurence expressed concerns regarding future projections due to the anticipated decrease in the ratio of economically active people compared to those who are not economically active.  This would need to be addressed to avoid difficulties in the future.

·  Jane Shayler pointed out that there are a number of schemes that provide for adults of working age such as pre-crisis beds for mental health patients.

RESOLVED:

(1)  To strengthen the wording on the Better Care Fund (BCF) Narrative Plan 2017-19 in relation to mental health.

(2)  To approve the proposed utilisation of the BCF funds 2017-19 and the utilisation of iBCF grant monies.

(3)  To delegate formal sign off of the final submission of the Plan on 11 September 2017 to the Co-Chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Board