The board will be invited to note and approve Herefordshire’s Better Care Fund plan 2022-23.

Report paper to follow.

The chair introduced the item and Ewen Archibald (Service Director All Age Commissioning) and Adrian Griffith (Head of Commercial Development) led the presentation.

The service director explained that frustratingly the deadlines meant the plan was due to be submitted to the Department of Health this same day and that the board would therefore only be able to suggest minor amendments (if it wanted to make changes). It was noted that there was not a significant change in the: documentation, the overall profile of the proposed spending and the metrics from last year. Some minor changes to the metrics were in evidence and the narrative report contained slightly more detail on the disabled facilities grant, regarding how that was spent.

The service director also discussed an announcement from the Department of Health to say that it was introducing a new funding stream, which appeared to have similarities to the previous hospital discharge fund, but the details had not been published.

The head of commercial development provided a brief overview to the change of the metrics and explained that the timeframes involved meant the planning guidance came out halfway through the year to which the plan refers, which meant there was very little time to put together a plan and consult with everybody who might have sensible and relevant input. It was also stated that as soon as this plan was submitted, planning would commence on the next plan in a bid to avoid a reoccurrence of the situation.

The head of commercial development set out the report recommendations and opened discussion up to the board:

The managing director of Wye Valley NHS Trust noted that next year reviewing discharge to assess pathways and funding and reshaping that would be very important and would provide better value and outcomes from what had been put in place during Covid.

The managing director of Wye Valley NHS Trust highlighted the need to make the role of the One Herefordshire Partnership clearer in terms of its relationship with the BCF. The Integrated Care Executive (ICE) and its performance management/scrutiny function was also brought to the attention of the board.

The service director asked the board to note the work done by Adrian Griffith and Marie Gallagher in putting the plan together.

The report recommendations were proposed, seconded and approved unanimously.

APPROVED

That:

a) the Herefordshire Better Care Fund narrative plan, planning template and capacity and demand template be approved; and

b) note work ongoing to support integrated health and care provision that is funded via the BCF.