To approve the section 75 (s75) agreement between the council and Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), effective from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. In summary the report identifies the following points:

·         the s75 agreement is a national requirement, set by NHS England under the NHS Act 2006, which enables partners to commission integrated health and social care services;

·         the existing agreement is due to end on 31 March 2019;

·         the new agreement covers a range of services and operational functions of both partners at a total value of £55.685m for 2019/20;

·         scheme level detail of the agreement will be finalised following the publication of the national BCF policy framework and planning guidance; and

·         a key change to existing schemes is the introduction of a discharge to assess pilot for 2019/20.

That:

(a) The section 75 (s75) agreement for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 at a total value of £55.685m between the council and Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CGG), as at appendix one, is approved; and

(b) the director for adults and communities be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to complete the section 75 agreement.

It is a national requirement, set by NHS England, that the better care fund (BCF) is transferred into one or more pooled funds established under section 75 of the NHS Act 2006. The existing section 75 agreement between the council and Herefordshire clinical commissioning group (CCG) is due to end on 31 March 2019. There is no alternative as such an agreement must be in place.