To consider further information on the proposed closure of the Hillside Centre facility.

A presentation was given by the managing director, Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT) and the director of operations, NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (the CCG). 

It was explained that some of the information provided had already been shared and it was intended to give more detail and update the committee since the meeting in November. Members were reminded that officers had also attended the meeting in August 2017 and talked through the process, and had taken members’ advice on the engagement process from that meeting.

In the presentation, the following key points were made:

·         There was a strong body of evidence to support not keeping people in a bedded environment, which included the degenerative impact, and to provide reablement

·         In terms of metrics, WVT performance compared well with other areas and as provision of care shifted it was expected to see improvement

·         The early supported discharge (ESD) team had transitioned care from other sites as well as the Hillside annexe and was providing high quality community-based reablement including dedicated stroke reablement in order to provide better outcomes. It was important to recognise this if performance were to be improved in addressing length of hospital stays and increasing the number of people who had access to care at home

·         6 additional staff had been recruited with a further 4 sought in the new financial year and there was confidence over capacity to meet the change in service. Double running of provision was in operation during February whilst stepping down the number of people at Hillside for the transition to be effective from 24 February 

·         There was close working between the health and social care teams to support the transition

The assistant director, operations and support, explained that around £1.2m had been spent on reablement and rapid response services, leading to the council forming the home first service. Investment would increase to £1.5m next year. Where previously around 300 people would have been in receipt of this service, it was expected to increase to around 1000. It was anticipated that this number could grow further as the new service became established.

A member asked what was included in reablement and rehabilitation and whether this included soft exercise. The managing director, WVT, confirmed that the increase in reablement staff included additional physiotherapy input.

Responding to a member’s concern over contingency plans in the event that the additional workforce could not be recruited, it was further clarified that there were staff in place. The assistant director added that 6 of the 11 posts in the adults and wellbeing team were being filled with 4 being recruited, and this would be an ongoing recruitment drive.

The member asked whether any staff from Hillside had joined the home first team, or if they had been redeployed elsewhere.

The WVT managing director explained that staff had a choice of vacant posts in the trust and that they were avoiding redundancies. It was not certain whether there had been any resignations as a result of the changes.

A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32