Issue - meetings

A system-wide transformation programme to transform and improve urgent and emergency care services for Dorset residents is underway.  Involving health and care partners it is anticipated that the transformation programme will take 2 years to deliver and should substantially reduce the number of people admitted into hospital when better outcomes could be achieved elsewhere and should result in fewer people waiting in hospital to be discharged while ongoing care is arranged.  Over the medium term, the programme should also deliver financial benefits to the council as fewer people are placed in long term residential care placements and smaller homecare packages are required.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)       Note the work underway across the Dorset health and care system to transform urgent and emergency care services.

(b)       Delegate to the Corporate Director for Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, the Director of Law and Governance and the Director of Finance, authority to negotiate a Partnership Agreement with Dorset health and care partners to undertake the proposed transformation programme, based on a share of cost and benefits.

(c)       Invite the Corporate Director for Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, the Director of Law and Governance and the Director of Finance, to bring forward a Partnership Agreement for ratification by Council, provided that the agreed programme is achievable and affordable and anticipated benefits to the Council are significantly in excess of costs.

(d)       Invite the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the approach to the partnership agreement and to provide regular scrutiny of progress towards benefits and sustainable change.

Voting: 9 in favour, 1 abstention.

Portfolio Holder: Health and Wellbeing

Reason

To provide authority to continue participating in the system-wide transformation programme to improve urgent and emergency care outcomes of Dorset residents. The additional recommendation was included to ensure that as the programme moves forward over the next 2 years, there was scrutiny of the of the project to check it was working and the individual and financial benefits were being delivered.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that a system-wide transformation programme to transform and improve urgent and emergency care services for Dorset residents is underway.

Cabinet was informed that the programme involved health and care partners and that it was anticipated that the transformation programme will take 2 years to deliver and should substantially reduce the number of people admitted into hospital when better outcomes could be achieved elsewhere and should result in fewer people waiting in hospital to be discharged while ongoing care is arranged. 

Further to this Cabinet was advised that over the medium term, the programme should also deliver financial benefits to the council as fewer people are placed in long term residential care placements and smaller homecare packages are required.

The Chair of Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee advised that the report had not been considered by the Committee and asked the Cabinet to add an additional recommendation to invite the Scrutiny Committee to consider this issue and provide ongoing scrutiny of the agreement as it was important that the public were reassured about this issue. The Portfolio Holder supported the suggested recommendation.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board asked for clarification around the potential financial commitment of the Council should the Partnership agreement go ahead. The financial implications were still being discussed with the partners, BCP Council spend around £198million. Expected that it could deliver financial benefits of around £25million per year in, potential £4.5 million in annual savings. Fee for delivering the services would be a proportion of the savings which are accrued.

It was confirmed that more detail would be provided to the Council in December once further progress had been made. It was confirmed that there was no financial commitment being undertaken by the Cabinet in the decision being considered.

Cabinet made clear that the eventual partnership agreement would need to ensure that the consultancy fees would be more than offset by the financial savings achieved. The Portfolio Holder felt that it was important to ensure that this issue was discussed publicly by the Cabinet particularly in the context of the Council’s current financial situation.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)       Note the work underway across the Dorset health and care system to transform urgent and emergency care services.

(b)       Delegate to the Corporate Director for Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, the Director of Law and Governance and the Director of Finance, authority to negotiate a Partnership Agreement with Dorset health and care partners to undertake the proposed transformation programme, based on a share of cost and benefits.

(c)       Invite the Corporate Director for Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, the Director of Law and Governance and the Director of Finance, to bring  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75