Agenda item

The Following officers were in attendance for this item:

·         John Goulston, Chief Executive, (Croydon Health Services NHS trust and Chair of Croydon A&E Delivery Board)

·         Jayne Black, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, (Croydon NHS)

·         Stephen Warren, Director of Commissioning (Croydon CCG)

·         Andrew Eyres, CEO and Accountable Officer, (Croydon CCG)

·         Clinton Beale, Stakeholder Engagement Manager (LAS)

·         Graham Norton, Assistant Director of Operations, (LAS)

·         Pratima Solanki, Director of Adult Social Care & All Age Disability

Members were given a presentation which detailed the delivery plan for winter 2017/2018 and included plans from the multiagency organisations that would be working in conjunction with Croydon NHS trust to ensure best outcomes for patients.

Officers highlighted three key areas of development and improvement work that included:

·         Addressing ongoing workforce issues

·         Patient flow and Discharge

·         Re-Direction of patients

Officers informed the Committee that challenges were being faced due to increased presentation of patients with mental health issues, an increase of 8% compared to 2016. Members were advised that South London and Maudsley was considering new initiatives such as a 24hr core psychiatric reablement team to meet the increased demands presented by these patients.

Members were advised that the delivery plan included:

·         Greater emphasis on person centred care

·         The use of physicians to supplement A&E consultants

·         Improved out of hospital business case- LIFE team

The Sub Committee was advised that the new resuscitation unit at the hospital was now completed and was in use. Officers advised that the hospital was working towards a target of 3% improvement against 95% A&E targets.

In response to Members’ queries, the Sub Committee was informed that there would be several GP hubs open during the Christmas and New Year period to manage urgent primary care. National and local communications campaigns were being produced to place information on this in the public domain.

Members queried the background to the rise of patients presenting with mental health issues. Officers responded that this was a national issue and further analysis was being carried out to establish the underlying issues surrounding this increase. Officers stated that this figure was predominantly new patients who have only just come to the attention of services. Measures have been put in place with mental health nurses working closely with London Ambulance Service to minimise the impact on A&E.

In response to Members’ questions on issues with workforce, the Sub-Committee was informed that there was a national challenge in recruiting A&E consultants and work was being done nationally to address this issue. In areas of nursing there was a recruitment drive and a lot of work was being carried out in training and development which had been attracting staff to Croydon.

In adult social care, work was also being done to recruit nurses in nursing homes. As a winter contingency to decrease admission to hospital, Better Care Funding had been used to block purchase a number of nursing beds for people with dementia. Funds had also been ring fenced for the recruitment and retention of registered managers for care homes. These actions were designed to help stabilise the care market and to keep the best providers in the market place, and to increase the hourly rate of domiciliary care providers and rates for nursing homes.

Members queried the position on frontline staff being immunised with the flu vaccine. The London Ambulance Service responded that there had been a large take up with their staff with just over 73% currently immunised. The roll out for Council front line staff had just been implemented that week and there had been a large take up of staff receiving their immunisation. Croydon NHS had a target to have 75% of clinical facing staff immunised by 31 December 2017 and were currently at 57% which was ahead of their trajectory.

Members enquired as to what actions the council was undertaking to ensure effective communication was being shared with the community to encourage take up of the vaccines. The Director of Adult Social Care and all Age Disability resolved to provide information to the Committee on prevention communication following the meeting.

In response to Members’ queries on the plans for availability of Social Care staff during the Christmas and New Year period, officers responded that front line services would be operating throughout that period and that there would be a duty social worker available at all times with additional members of staff to provide support as needed. 

RECOMMENDATION 

The Sub Committee Members agreed to recommend that the Council should increase publicity around flu vaccines.