Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL.

Contact: Ceri Armstrong, Strategy Officer  Email: Direct.Democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

41.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 85 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting held on 8th January 2015

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board, held on 09th February 2015, were approved as a correct record.

 

42.

Urgent Items

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business

43.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interested declared.

44.

Developments in Primary Care Thurrock CCG report pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Minutes:

The CCG has a Primary Care Steering Group which includes partners from Thurrock Council and Thurrock Healthwatch.

 

The three areas Thurrock CCG sees as challenges are:

 

·         Primary Care estate;

·         Recruitment of GPs and Practice Nurses; and

·         The profile of the workforce

 

The focus of activity is to ensure that spend is focused on services that have the greatest impact on patient care.

 

The CCG has been working with the Council’s Adult Social Care and Regeneration teams to scope a health facility as part of the Purfleet regeneration programme.

 

The CCG has successfully secured funding of  £248,996 to support the extended opening of four Thurrock-based GP ‘Hubs’ from 9am -12pm at weekends.  The Hubs will accept both booked and walk-in appointments.  The first hub is expected to open in early March. This is a 7 year project to provide extended provision for Primary Care.

 

Each hub has different needs and therefore joint working between Hubs will ensure that resources are appropriately shared.

A public consultation event will take place on Wednesday 11th February at Orsett Hall. 

 

There is no end date for the Primary Care Strategy and the GP Hubs are not co-dependant on the future of the Thurrock Walk-in Service as these are two separate initiatives. Through the Primary Care steering groups, the CCG will review priorities at each stage.  Updates will be brought back to the Board as appropriate.   

           

The CCG is not responsible for the commissioning of the Grays High Street GP practice, only the Walk-in Service. NHS England is responsible for ensuring adequate primary care provision.

 

The Board was told that the CCG had submitted a bid for the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.  If successful the funding would be used to extend services for weekend opening and would enhance the capacity of Primary Care.

 

It was noted that the report will come back to the Board for a review.

 

 

RESOLVED: 

 

Recommendations agreed

 

45.

The future of the Walk in Service Report pdf icon PDF 113 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Beata Malinowska presented the report on the future of Thurrock’s Walk-in Service.

 

Established in March 2010 the Walk-in Service is currently undergoing a public consultation from 2nd February to 24th March, this was launched by the CCG to gather input from the community around the Walk-in Service in Grays.

 

According to research 37% of patients who use the Walk-in Service do so as a reassurance of service e.g.  secondary reviews after a patient has already visited their registered GP – which isa duplication of service.

 

Analysis was carried out and patient surveys initiated due to the numbers of patients scheduling appointments and then not attending.

 

Attendance costs at one of the Hubs is approximately £12-£15 per head.  This is compared to an average of £32 per head for an attendance at the Walk-in Service.

 

Concerns were raised about where people living in the east of the Borough were going, and whether they were attending Basildon Accident and Emergency.

 

Research had concluded that people did not travel to the Hospital due to the distance.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

Recommendations agreed.

 

46.

The Better Care Fund pooled fund Section 75 Agreement Report pdf icon PDF 124 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was presented by Roger Harris, Mandy Ansell, and Christopher Smith.

 

The Better Care Fund Plan has now been approved by Minsters, with confirmation received from Dame Barbara Hakin.
 

Cabinet will be asked to approve the section 75 pooled fund agreement in March, followed by the CCG Board.

 

The Plan focuses initially on older people’s services. The mandated amount was £10 million with Thurrock’s pooled fund being £18 million.  The Plan will enable the CCG and Council to consider innovative ways of approaching joined-up services at a local level.

 

A payment-for-performance element will release funding but is dependent upon reducing hospital admissions by 3.5%. 

 

New governance arrangements will be established, with the membership comprised of senior management, to oversee the fund.  A pooled fund manager will report directly to the new arrangements on performance, activity and quality.

 

Thurrock Council will be the host organisation for the Better Care Fund which will be governed via the section 75 agreement.

 

A performance framework will be established, with a scorecard in place to measure progress and outcomes.

 

 

The Board were made aware that regular financial reports will be required as part of the Agreement.

 

 

RESOLVED:

     

Recommendation agreed. 

 

47.

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Minutes:

Cllr Rice informed the Board of the dates of future meetings, it was agreed that a meeting should be organised for June.