Issue - meetings

·         Report by Director of Adult Social Care and Health, East Sussex County Council

15.1     The Board considered a report by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health on the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019 and updates to East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 annual progress report.

15.2     In response to questions, officers made the following key points:

·         The East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019 (HWBS) sets out the vision and priorities of the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB), and is a framework for the commissioning of health and wellbeing services in the county. The detailed plans contained within the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) are not part of the HWBS.

·         East Sussex Better Together constitutes the STP for the Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford and Hastings and Rother areas of East Sussex and has been through the decision making processes of East Sussex County Council and the CCGs; figures are widely available relating to its costs and benefits. Connecting 4 You (C4Y) will go through a similarly transparent decision making process for the High Weald Lewes Havens area of East Sussex. The recently published STP document also provides overarching figures.

15.3     The Board RESOLVED to:

1) agree the Health on the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019; and

2) Note the updates to East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 annual progress report.

-       Report by Chief Executive, ESCC

6.1       The Board considered a report by the Chief Executive, East Sussex County Council, on the progress to date on delivering the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016, and to approve the new Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019.

6.2       The Director of Adult Social Care and Health recommended that the Board defer the decision to approve the new Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019 until the next Board meeting in order to allow time to ensure that it better reflects the elements of the East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) accountable care proposals, Connecting 4 You, and the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), all of which would be at a more advanced planning stage by the autumn.

6.3       In response to questions, officers made the following key points on the progress to date on delivering the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 in relation to ESBT:

·         The proportion of people with ambulatory care sensitive conditions admitted to hospital as an emergency has increased due to the ongoing challenges aligning community and primary care pathways with the needs of patients; this is particularly challenging in more deprived areas where GP coverage is poorer. These challenges have begun to be tackled, however, which can be seen in the reduction in the length of stay of patients once they are admitted. The three main initiatives to tackle avoidable inpatient admissions are the East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) Integrated Locality Teams, Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC), and the Crisis Intervention Team.

·         Feedback from staff on the Integrated Locality Teams has been positive. In particularly, around the single line management structure which acts as a single line of communication to staff regardless of who they are employed by.

·         The morale of staff in the community teams has increased considerably since the creation of the Integrated Locality Teams; staff now feel that they are part of a single health and social care team working for their local community. The CCGs will gather quantitative evidence of the performance of Integrated Locality Teams in due course.

6.4       In response to questions, officers made the following key points on the progress to date on delivering the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 in relation to Connecting 4 You:

·         HWLH CCG has set up Communities of Practice and, along with community services and mental health providers, has been carrying out ‘immersion events’ in each of the four Communities of Practice. These events involve all frontline staff coming together to work out how to make the patient’s experience of healthcare more seamless.

6.5       The Board resolved to:

1) note the progress to date on delivering the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016; and

2) agree to defer the approval of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2019 to the next meeting of the Board.

6.1       The Board considered a report by the Chief Executive of East Sussex County Council providing an update on the annual progress of the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

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

·         The £200 million proposed reduction in the Department of Health’s non NHS Budget was still out for consultation, although it was expected to be confirmed. This will result in an expected £1.7-2 million reduction in the Public Health Grant, which will have an impact on a wide range of public health services commissioned by the Council that could be exacerbated by the potential removal of the ring fence around the Grant. The Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) process will help the Council to model and plan for these reductions in public health funding. Furthermore, any decision will need to be taken in conjunction with the Council’s commissioning partners as part of the East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) programme.

·         Steps were taken during 2014/15 to help ensure that the number of old people admitted to hospital due to falls achieved a target reduction of 1% per year. The impact of these changes is expected to be seen in the Quarter 4 data, but that data is not yet available.

·         There will be no additional resource available to assist with the conversion of Statements to Education, Health and Care Plans (ECHPs), but the Council will increasingly be measured on the number of conversions it achieves. At the same time, the Council could be taken to tribunal by a carer if there is a delay in the processing of a new ECHP. As a result, the Children’s Services Department will need to find a balance between converting Statements and creating new ECHPs.

·         Although there has been no developed measure for improving the experience of care for people at the end of their lives, as part of the ESBT programme, the Council and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will work more closely with patients and carers to provide them with care that reflects their needs and preferences.

6.3       RESOLVED:

1)    To note the report and its contents; and

2)    To agree the proposed changes to the measures and targets set out in paragraph 4.2.