To receive the final report of the Joint Community Bed Review.

A Member of the Public expressed his thanks to the Committee that Biggleswade Hospital would remain open after months of campaigning.  Thanks were also extended to the Biggleswade and Sandy Councillors for their support.

The Director of Strategy and System Redesign Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) introduced the Central Bedfordshire Health and Social Care Review – a review of Community Bed Provision in Central Bedfordshire and recommendations for improvement.  The report drews out priorities for joint development between NHS Bedfordshire, CCG and CBC through:-

·        Development of community bed based services in the north of Central Bedfordshire, by amending the admission criteria for Biggleswade Hospital.

·        Development of urgent care pathways

·        A single approach to commissioning care home services.

The Bedfordshire CCG had restructured its team and a Deputy Director had been appointed to work with Social Care officers.  The recommended future model included:

·        Ensuring that services were designed around the customer, so they had choice and access to high quality services.

·        Developing a step up, step down facility for the North of Central Bedfordshire.  A pilot scheme in Houghton Regis and Dunstable had proved successful, providing intensive support to help residents get back on their feet after a stay in hospital.

·        Improving dementia care by establishing a quality accreditation scheme and rewarding high quality care homes.

·        An investment programme of extra care and supported living, giving older resident with care needs a greater choice of accommodation locally.

The Committee discussed the contents of the review and a number of points were raised as follows:

·        The importance of continuing negotiations with GPs to develop their surgeries following on from the successful of the Step Up, Step down facility in Houghton Regis.

·        The importance of providing care at home and training carers so patients can stay in their own homes.

·        Concern that a patient, family member or carer would find it difficult to navigate their way through the urgent care pathway and the importance of clear signposting for all.  The Director of Strategy and System Redesign (BCCG) reassured the Committee this area was being developed and she would  report back on the work undertaken.

In response the Director of Social Care Health and Housing confirmed there was a close working relationship with BCCG to provide a new framework agreement and a single commissioning arrangement.  Bearing in mind the complexity of there being no district hospital, the need to ensure Central Bedfordshire residents were not overlooked and had the same options available to them as those in Luton and Bedford was paramount.

The Committee thanked the Director of Strategy and System Redesign (BCCG) for a very welcome report that provided a clear vision for the future.

RECOMMENDED

1.      That the model of care as set out in the paper at Section 4 be endorsed.

2.      That the three priorities for joint development as set out in the paper at Section 5 be endorsed.

3.      That the Director of Strategy and System Redesign (BCCG) develop clear guidance for patients, carers and family members to negotiate the urgent care pathway and update the Committee at a future meeting.