Issue - meetings

28.1     The Board considered a report providing an update on the progress of plans to strengthen ESBT Alliance arrangements during 2018/19.

28.2     The following additional information was provided in response to questions from the Board:

·         Throughout the existence of the STP, the ESBT Alliance has been clear about the need to integrate social care with health care at the place-based planning level, i.e., at ESBT level, rather than across the entire STP. This is seen as the best way to address population health needs, in part due to the size and complexity of the STP. There is agreement across the STP that this is the preferred approach.  

·         Now that there is new leadership in the STP, it is necessary to understand how a future acute care strategy for the whole STP can be integrated into the commissioning arrangements for the individual placed-based plans.

·         The STP comprises 19 NHS organisations and 4 local authorities. The task of the STP is complex, and a coterminous STP would be easier to organise. The STP is attempting to deal with issues that have been unresolved in the health and social care system in Sussex for 15-20 years, such as the developing of an acute care network. The new Chair of the STP, Bob Alexander, has an awareness of the importance of addressing issues around co-terminosity, such as patient flows, both within the STP and between Sussex other health economies such as Kent.

28.3     The Board RESOLVED to:

1) note that our proposals for strengthening the ESBT Alliance in 2018/19 remain on track. This includes the recent decision to recommend to ESBT sovereign partners to extend the ESBT Alliance Agreement until March 2020;

2) note the ESBT Alliance planning and integrated governance, including arrangements for integrated strategic commissioning and financial planning;

3) note that the acceleration of Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STP) and commissioning reform reinforces our need for ESBT health and care system to be flexible and responsive, whilst ensuring successful implementation of our local integrated commissioning arrangements focussed on our ESBT ‘place’; and

4) note that the ESBT Accountable Care Development Group also continues work to develop the criteria to determine how integrated health and social care service delivery will best meet local need, in the context of the wider Sussex and East Surrey STP.

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