Agenda item

To receive a summary of the NHS Long Term Plan. (30 mins)

Dr Winfield provided a presentation on a summary of the NHS Long Term Plan.

During the discussion of this item the following points were made:

·         The Plan had been published in January and was the plan for the NHS for the next 5-10 years.

·         The Plan outlined a 21^st century model for care, the aims of which were to provide more joined up and better co-ordinated care, more proactive care and being more differentiated in the support of individuals.

·         Various actions would be taken to achieve this including boosting out of hospital care.  Nationally £4bn would be invested to help achieve this.

·         In addition there was a desire to reduce the pressure on emergency hospital services, to better promote more personalised care and to increase digitally enabled primary and outpatient care.

·         There would be a greater focus on population health.  Berkshire West was piloting a population health system working around the frail elderly.

·         Primary care networks and their role in boosting out of hospital care was highlighted.  Dr Winfield indicated that primary care networks would be developed covering approximately 30-40,000 patients.  The network would be contracted and a single fund would be in place hosted by a single practice within the network.

·         Practices would be staffed by a wide range of staff including clinical physicians, social prescribers and first contact physios.  There would be expanded neighbourhood teams for wider services such as district nurses.  Board members were also informed of the development of community hubs for a range of integrated locality services.

·         It was noted that GP practices could hold some appointments back which could be used by NHS 111 to refer directly to GPs, to help improve the use of NHS 111.  If they were not used they could be released back for general use.

·         Reducing unwarranted variations between practices would also be considered.

·         Measures to help reduce pressure on emergency hospital services included working to reduce ambulance handover times.

·         The Plan focused more on working at a higher level footprint.  Dr Winfield referred to ICS, Place, Locality and Neighbourhoods.  Martin Sloan commented that Berkshire West and the local authority were currently working well on the integration of health and social care.  He expressed concern that should the focus shift to working on a larger scale Wokingham’s voice may not be heard.  Dr Winfield stated that the arrangements for Berkshire West were unlikely to change greatly.  It was sensible to address some matters such as workforce and digitalisation, at a larger scale, but the majority of matters would continue to be dealt with at ‘Place’ level (Berkshire West).

·         Dr Winfield referred to the ‘Design our Neighbourhoods’ around population health management,

·         Tessa Lindfield emphasised that she felt that the Plan provided an opportunity to maximise the prevention agenda.

·         In response to a question from Paul Doherty, Dr Winfield clarified that much of the money attached to the NHS Long Term Plan was revenue.

·         Philip Cook commented that the voluntary sector needed to be involved earlier in the process.  Dr Winfield stated that there could be better joint commissioning between the local authority and the Clinical Commissioning Group.  It was important that the Voluntary Sector was involved in the Design the Neighbourhood work.

·         Board members were informed that the Clinical Commissioning Group would be required to produce a Strategy in response to the Plan, by autumn.  This Strategy would also align to the Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategies.

·         Graham Ebers stated that the trajectory around localism and integration aligned with the developing Wellbeing Strategy and the principles of 21^st century Council.  The local authority would work with the Clinical Commissioning Group to align its neighbourhoods with theirs and ideally they would be co-terminus.

RESOLVED:  That the presentation on the NHS Long Term Plan be noted.