Report to:	East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)
Date of meeting:	15 December 2022
By:	Assistant Chief Executive
Title:	NHS Sussex Winter Plan
Purpose:	To provide an overview of the NHS Sussex Winter Plan 2022/23.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee is recommended to consider and comment on the report

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1. Background & supporting information

1.1. Winter planning is an annual requirement of the NHS to ensure that the local health and social care system has sufficient plans in place to effectively manage the capacity and demand pressures anticipated during the Winter period. The Sussex Winter Plan is a whole system health and social care plan, recognising the interdependencies of the system to meet the needs of the local population. The Plan period runs this year from October 2022 to April 2023.

1.2. Winter Plans are developed with input from partners across the system including local authorities, providers, commissioners and the voluntary sector. This report highlights the Sussex wide and East Sussex specific elements of the plan. It should be noted that there has been no reduction in operational pressures over the summer months and providers are entering winter with significant capacity pressures (availability of workforce and service capacity) for all organisations. The process for developing the system Winter Plan was agreed by the three place based Sussex Local Accident and Emergency Delivery Boards, and covers all service areas across health and care, including the Voluntary Sector. 

1.3. A summary of the NHS Sussex Winter Plan 2022/23 is attached as Appendix 1 for consideration by the HOSC and covers the following topics:

• Development of the Winter Plan
• The Winter Operating Model
• The Winter Operating Delivery Plan
• • Aligning Demand and Capacity
  • Discharge
  • Improvements in ambulance service performance
  • Improving NHS 111 performance
  • Avoiding admission and alternative ‘in hospital’ pathways to improve flow
  • Infection Prevention and Control
  • Seasonal vaccination programme
  • Workforce
  • Communications
  • Planned Care Recovery Programme
  • Mental Health
• Enhanced Work Streams (Rapid Improvement Pathways)
• • Out of Hospital Urgent Care
  • Frailty Pathways
  • Discharge
  • High Risk Cohorts
  • Mental Health Crisis Resolution
• Local Plans – East Sussex
• • Acute Hospital Urgent Care Services
  • Admission Avoidance
  • Discharge
  • Primary Care Winter Planning
  • Public Health

2.         Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

2.1       HOSC is recommended to consider and comment on the NHS Sussex Winter Plan.

PHILIP BAKER
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact Officer: Martin Jenks, Senior Scrutiny Adviser
Tel. No. 01273 481327
Email: martin.jenks@eastsussex.gov.uk