To update the Board on the timetable, progress and initial content of NHS Herefordshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group’s planning submission in relation to the NHS Everyone Counts Planning Framework for 2013/14 and associated developments; and engage and involve the Health and Wellbeing Board in the development of the CCGs plans for 2013/14 and beyond.

The Board was invited to express its views on the timetable, progress and initial content of the Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) planning submission in relation to the NHS Everyone Counts Planning Framework for 2013/14 and associated developments; and to note the intention to engage and involve the Health and Wellbeing Board in the development of the CCG’s plans for 2013/14 and beyond.

Dr Watts presented the report.  He highlighted the three key local priorities described in the report (voluntary priorities, rather than nationally mandated ones of which there were several): development of community teams and virtual wards; introduction of a map of medicine; and improvement of dementia services.  He informed the Board that he considered these local priorities were consistent with the principles of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

In discussion the following principal points were made:

·         In relation to the use of the “map of medicine” it was requested that the map contained reference to the need to inform carers as well as patients of the contents of the relevant map.  It was suggested that the map should also include reference to preventative measures and the rehabilitation and independence of patients.

·         Clarification was requested of the funding available to deliver the three key local priorities.  Dr Watts confirmed that the CCG budget, in common with other CCG budgets, had to provide for a two per cent non-recurrent transformational reserve from which funding for such projects would be drawn.  The release of funding was subject to approval of business cases by the relevant National Commissioning Board Local Area Team.  Whilst some progress would be made on the three priorities the pace and extent would depend on the amount of funding released.  It was suggested that the Local Authority and the CCG should discuss whether there was scope for funding to be pooled to assist in delivering these priorities.

·         The Board discussed a proposal it had previously made that an Older People’s Group be established to focus on delivery of objectives for those services.  It was noted that, given that a very high percentage of services commissioned related to services for older people, there was a danger that such a Group would be overwhelmed.  It was suggested that a better course would be to use existing groups to focus on the delivery of specific strategies within their sphere.

·         That from the Healthwatch perspective it was recognised that the plan on a page was a high level plan.  However, it was important to provide some context for the discussion of plans with the public.   For example, the document contained no reference to the financial constraints in a time of austerity and the bearing these had upon what could be delivered.  It was also important that engagement with the public took place early on in the process of developing more detailed plans.

·         That it was important that assurance was provided to the Board that effective communication and engagement plans were in place.

·         That a lot of work had already been done to gauge public opinion on a range of service issues and maximum use should be made of the information already held before staging further engagement events.  In particular a further one-off engagement meeting should be firmly resisted at this stage.  The role of Healthwatch in facilitating engagement in the development and implementation of plans was noted.

·         With reference to resolution b of minute no 24 of the Board’s meeting on 22 January 2013 relating to CCG planning it was proposed that a report should be made to the Board on principles that would provide a framework for decisions on decommissioning services.

RESOLVED:

That      (a)     the Board agreed that the 3 key local priorities identified in the report: development of community teams and virtual wards; introduction of map of medicine and improvement of dementia services were consistent with the principles of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy;

(b)                   assurance be provided to the Board regarding arrangements for communication and engagement; and

(c)           a report be submitted to the Board by the Clinical Commissioning Group on principles that would provide a framework for decisions on decommissioning services.