Jo Cripps, Programme Director (interim), Mid & South Essex Health & Care Partnership

This item was presented by Jo Cripps, Interim Programme Director, Mid & South Essex Health & Care Partnership.  Key points included:

·         The STP was now being referred to as the Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership.

·         The Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership has worked with partners across the system and informed by those partners to create a five year strategy that reflects local Health and Wellbeing Strategies

·         The Strategy sets out commitments provided in the NHS Long Term Plan and how we are intending to deliver them.

·         HealthWatch Thurrock engaged members of the public to ensure there has been substantial residential engagement which has informed the Strategy.

·         Public Health has provided a population profile which has been fed into the Strategy, including the wider determinants of health and wellbeing.

·         An Outcomes framework will be developed with Public Health to ensure progress can be monitored over time.

·         A key aim of the Strategy is to reduce health inequalities, supporting people to make healthy choices and lifestyles.

Members were provided with an update on the partnership more generally which included:

·         The Partnership remains committed to becoming Integrated Care System by April 2021.  

·         Provides more autonomy and will be supported by further investment.

·         A population health strategy has been developed

·         A workforce Strategy is currently being developed

·         Implementation of shared care records will be introduced and:

·         Chair Mike Thorne has identified two priorities and is keen to engage partners at future Summit meetings to identify:

o   Cancer outcomes

o   Support for aging population

During discussions the following points were made:

·         An independent accountable officer has not been appointed.  Partners have been notified that no appointment was made.  This means there is no change at the moment. 

·         Concerns were raised about potential impact on Thurrock particularly regarding finances and decision making.  Members were reassured that Thurrock is recognised by the Health and Care Partnership as leading on this work.    Reassurance was also provided that the Strategy aims to reflect local places and their plans. 

·         Members were updated about the third meeting of the Thurrock Integrated Care Partnership meeting which took place on 30 January 2020, demonstrating a sustained and strong commitment across partnership agencies to continue to work together in Thurrock.

·         A consultation document is to be published on CCG Merger. 

·         A virtual panel of 1500 people across mid and south Essex has been established.  Virtual surveys will be run every six to eight weeks.  First survey will be focussed on outpatients.  Members reassured that there are opportunities for the public and partners to provide views on health and care services.

·         Information sharing challenge – different systems.  There is no requirement for organisations to adopt a new system but members were reassured that connectors are being purchased to enable different systems to link.  There will be direct agreements in place between organisations over the next couple of months for sharing information.

·         BTUH remains committed to continuing to focus on place level.  BTUH will continue to work with individual locations while engaging the wider health and care partnership.

RESOLVED: The Health and Wellbeing Board members agreed the draft 5-year Strategy and Delivery Plan.