Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting and noted apologies from the following:

·         Fiona Boyd, Registered Lay Nurse of the Governing Body, NHS Bury CCG

·         Cllr Clare Cummins, Cabinet Member Corporate Housing Services, Bury Council

·         Howard Hughes, Clinical Director, NHS Bury CCG

·         Geoff Little, Chief Executive Bury Council & Accountable Officer NHS Bury CCG

·         David McCann, Lay Member Patient & Public Involvement, NHS Bury CCG

·         Cllr Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member Environment, Climate Change & Operations, Bury Council

·         Cllr Andrea Simpson, First Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member Health & Wellbeing, Bury Council

·         Cllr Tamoor Tariq, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member Children, Young People & Skills, Bury Council

The Chair advised that the quoracy had not been satisfied in line with the Terms of Reference for the SCB. From a CCG perspective, this would involve operating in good faith outside of the Standing Orders which would involve onward notification via appropriate governance channels. From a Council perspective, it was noted that the required quoracy in respect of elected members had been achieved. 

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the information.

The Chair reported that the CCG and Council both have statutory responsibilities in relation to the declarations of interest as part of their respective governance arrangements.

It was reported that the CCG had a statutory requirement to keep, maintain and make publicly available a register of declarations of interest under Section 14O of the National Health Service Act 2006 (as inserted by Section 25 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012). The Local Authority has statutory responsibilities detailed as part of Sections 29 to 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012.

The Chair reminded the CCG and Council members of their obligation to declare any interest they may have on any issues arising from agenda items which might conflict with the business of the Strategic Commissioning Board. 

Declarations made by members of the Strategic Commissioning Board are listed in the CCG’s Register of Interests which is presented under this agenda and is also available from the CCG’s Corporate Office or via the CCG website.

•           Declarations of interest from today’s meeting

There were no declarations of interest raised.

•           Declarations of Interest from the previous meeting

There were no declarations of interest from the previous meeting raised.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the published register of interests.

Minutes

The minutes of the Strategic Commissioning Board meeting held on 7 February 2022 were agreed as an accurate record.

Action Log

There were no updates in relation to the Action Log.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Approved the minutes of the meeting held on the 7 February 2022.

There were no public questions raised.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the information.

The Joint Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning, Bury Council & NHS Bury CCG provided an update on the latest CCG and Council developments. He advised that pressure on services remained, with pent-up demand particularly affecting Adult Social Care, Community Health, Primary Care, Elective Care, and Mental Health, amongst others. Work on discharge rates was ongoing to ensure the flow of patients, and although concerns had been raised over the turnaround times at Fairfield Hospital, last week it had been the second-best performer in waiting times. These times were a function of demand and flow and reflected the effectiveness of the system as a whole and as such they would be kept under review. Finally, it was noted that the Councillor seminar on the progress and remaining challenges had been successful, and another seminar for the wider public was being arranged.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the update.

The Joint Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning, Bury Council & NHS Bury CCG advised that a full suite of papers had been provided at the earlier Locality Board meeting, including an update on the government White Paper on Integration, the work to develop a GM operating model (including roles, place-base leadership, and financial flows), GM review meetings with Places, and a proposed Scheme of Delegation for the GM ICS (and initial response).  

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Received the update.

The Joint Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning, Bury Council & NHS Bury CCG presented two reports which proposed the 2022/23 Adult Social Care and provider fees and charges across the OCO directorate to take effect from April 2021 unless stated otherwise and detailed the fee engagement process. It was noted that substantial uplifts were proposed, which reflected a phased approach of Real Living Wage payments until April 2023. It was noted that some providers worked across localities and as such were not able to roll out RLW for all their staff. Bury has a positive relationship with providers, reflected in the engagement process and holistic support offered throughout the year.

The Executive Director of Finance, Bury Council & NHS Bury CCG advised that costs would be met from the pooled budget; the cost to the Council would be £4.5m which was within the balanced budget, and the cost to the CCG was £3.5m. It was noted that there was a deficit on the CCG budget at this would create a further pressure. The Board discussed the proposal in the context of the ICS and examined the financial risk with regards to the interdependencies of the social care and healthcare systems. The Board noted the risks involved and that further discussions would be held in the future.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

1.    Approved the Adult Social Care Fees & Charges Uplift detailed in Appendix A of the report.

2.    Approved the Adult Social Care Provider Fee Uplifts as set out in the report.

The Cabinet Member Communities, Bury Council presented the report which provided an update on the progress made in delivering on the Council and CCG’s commitment, including the roll-out of free leisure passes for military veterans, the development of a dedicated information hub on veteran support for GPs and support to Bury’s voluntary sector veterans groups.

It was noted that, owing to the work to date and commitment to this agenda, the Council was in the process of submitting an application for recognition at the Silver level of the MoD’s Employer Recognition Scheme and was committed to working towards the submission of a further application for Gold level accreditation in 2023. It was noted that there was more work to do to achieve this, and an action plan was in place to drive further progress.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the update.

The Chief Information Officer, Bury Council & Bury CCG presented the report which outlined the need to continue the Digital COVID-19 response the CCG can make relating to triage and managing GP patient demand. In March 2020 the solution using AskmyGP was approved and financed using emergency COVID-19 NHSE funding; this report proposed the extension of this service for a further 12 months. The Board noted the mixed feelings GPs had for this service, but feedback across the patient population has demonstrated a high level of patient satisfaction, and it was agreed that no digital solution was universally liked. 

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Approved Option 3: to re-institute Askmygp for 12 months across the Bury Footprint.

The Executive Director of Finance, Bury Council & NHS Bury CCG presented the report which provided an update on the differential contributions made by both the Council and the CCG to the Integrated Care Fund (ICF) in 2021/22 and sought approval for the changed phasing from being solely in 2021/22 to also being transacted in 2021/22 and 2022/23. 

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Approved the phasing of additional contributions to the pooled fund detailed in the report, being £2.5m by the Council during 2021/22 and £2.0m in 2022/23.

The Chair summarised the main discussion points from today’s meeting and thanked members for their contributions.

The Strategic Commissioning Board:

Noted the information.