Agenda item

The Panel will receive an update from the B&NES, Swindon & Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BSW CCG) on current issues.

Dr Bryn Bird, B&NES Locality Clinical Chair addressed the Panel. A copy of the

update can be found as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary of the

update is set out below.

Shaping a Healthier Future programme

In 2019 BSW CCG worked with partners, staff and members of the public to set out the priorities for the delivery of health and care services – these plans were published in early 2020, and took into account the community review work, Your Care, Your Way, which was undertaken in 2017-2019.

We want to review these plans in light of the learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic of the last year, testing whether our health and care model is still the right one or whether we need to make any changes.

Covid has sped up the collaboration between services and we have adopted a number of new ways of working in order to continue caring for local people and keeping them and our workforce safe.

Alongside the refresh of our system-wide health and care model, the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH) has the opportunity later this year to bid for government funding to transform the way it delivers care.

Some of this funding has already been confirmed with the Dyson Cancer Centre now formally approved to proceed. Further funding will be needed to support the future BSW model of care which will focus on greater integration, a person-centred approach and care closer to home.

As a result, fourteen patient champions have been recruited to a series of workshops that are being held this month to review and discuss our health and care model and explore ways we can start to realise our ambition to provide care closer to home.

BSW ICS Partnership Integrated Care System update

As part of BSW Partnership’s commitment to transparency and openness, the BSW Partnership Sponsoring Board held its first meeting in public recently.

The BSW Partnership Board provides the formal leadership for the BSW Partnership and is responsible for setting strategic direction and providing oversight for the achievement of the Partnership’s strategy.

The major development of the past month has been the approval by the BSW Partnership Executive of a business case for a BSW Academy. The Academy is set to launch later this year and will offer a number of benefits for our workforce including enhanced career development opportunities and launch of a dedicated learning and development portal. The services provided by the BSW Academy will ultimately result in improved outcomes for local people.

Earlier this month, partner organisations agreed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the joint working arrangements of the Partnership and to support the next stage of development of our Integrated Care System. The MoU sets out the vision and key design principles that inform how we work together as one system and describes the governance arrangements that are currently in place. This MoU is now being shared with partner boards for final sign off.

Every year NHS organisations are required to develop an annual operational plan. During May the BSW Partnership submitted a single draft operating plan to NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI). This is an integrated plan with providers and commissioners working together to align activity and financial plans and set out locally identified priorities for the coming year. We are now refining our plan to re-submit to NHSEI in early June.

In BSW Partnership localities of B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire, our Integrated Care Alliances (ICAs) continued to work with local partners to explore the options for local or ‘place-based’ collaboration.

Covid mass vaccination programme

As of Tuesday 8 June, our vaccine teams have carried out a total of 1,020,056 vaccinations, made up of 585,920 first doses and 434,136 second doses, helping to further protect the people of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.

We have continued to target vulnerable and hard to reach communities through an outreach programme which has seen BSW CCG work with GP surgeries, Primary Care Networks, local authorities and local charities to deliver Covid vaccines to boating communities through a floating clinic on a canal boat.

At the same time, people living in areas that have seen low uptake in vaccinations are being offered Covid jabs on board a specially adapted bus which has been used on a number of occasions in the BaNES area. Plans are being drawn up for how this vaccination bus can be used to bring the vaccine to people at their place of work, such as food factories

More community pharmacies are also set to join the vaccination programme in the days and weeks ahead, as some GP-led sites withdraw to allow clinicians to focus on providing care and treatment for conditions separate to Covid-19

Bath Racecourse – one of our region’s two large vaccination centres – is now a mixed vaccine site providing patients with both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

Kevin Burnett referred to the BSW Partnership Board and asked if a BSW governance diagram could be shared with the Panel.

Dr Bird replied that when ready a diagram could be shared with the Panel.

Kevin Burnett asked if he knew if Covid-19 vaccinations were due to take place in school.

Dr Bird replied that he was unable to answer that question and would seek a response for the Panel.

Councillor Andy Wait asked if the work of the Circle Bath hospital would remain similar following acquisition by Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. He also asked if any development of the site was envisaged at this stage.

Dr Bird replied that the Trust was planning to increase diagnostic capacity and provide quicker and easier access to a range of tests on the same day to support earlier diagnosis.

The Chairman asked if the extension of current national Covid-19 restrictions would prove to be an interruption to those members of the public seeking Cancer care / treatment.

Dr Bird replied that no Cancer pathways have been stopped and stressed that many attempts have been made to communicate this as much as possible. He added though that he obviously understood that some members of the public will have had concerns over making contact about appointments.

Councillor Michelle O’Doherty asked about the vaccination of hard to reach communities and wanted to know if the Vaccination Bus / Boat had been able to visit the areas of Newbridge and Saltford.

Dr Bird replied that this has been a very successful programme and said that he was aware that the boat had visited the areas of Newbridge, Saltford & Keynsham. He added that the bus has helped many members of the public access the vaccination programme.

Councillor Mark Roper asked if there had recently been a decrease in vaccinations locally due to supply issues, particularly with the Pfizer vaccine.

Dr Bird replied that it was not a long-term issue regarding supplies of the vaccine. He added that locally our figures were below average for cohorts 10-12.

The Chair thanked Dr Bird for his update on behalf of the Panel.