Agenda item

Representatives from the Council and NHS will report at the meeting.  A presentation is attached.

Julie Gonda, Interim Executive Director, Communities and Wellbeing and Charlotte Walker, Operations Manager, Fairfield Hospital attended the meeting to provide members with an update in respect of delayed discharge within the Borough.  The Presentation contained the following information; update on progress with regards to the flow improvement journey; performance reporting on delayed transfer of care and implementation of the GM Standards.

The Operations Manager reported that progress has been made with regards to the implementation of a true and effective discharge to assess pathway for patients going home and into temporary 24 hour care with an aim for only essential assessments taking place in the acute setting.  The development of a 7 day Integrated Discharge Team function on the FGH site.

The Interim Executive Director reported that formal agreements have been developed with Integrated Discharge Teams on other acute sites to support the discharge of Bury patients.  In order to develop a truly responsive community pathway, work is underway with community partners to support the flow of patients from secondary care, coupled with a ‘Home First’ principle.

Those present were invited to ask questions and the following issues were raised.

In response to a Member’s question the Integrated Discharge Team Manager reported that there are pressures on acute inpatient beds throughout the year.  Attendances at A&E have increased to 200/220 patients per day.  Work is underway to try to ascertain the reasons for the high demand and where appropriate, divert patients to other services.

The Integrated Team Discharge Manger reported that moving a patient to a temporary placement in order to free up an acute bed, would always be carefully managed and only be undertaken if it was in the best interest of the patient.  Patients would be able to access re-ablement services whilst in a temporary placement.

The Interim Executive Director reported that the DofH reporting structure only requires the Pennine Acute Trust to provide information across the whole of the Acute Trust footprint and not site specific.  Following the establishment of the new site management arrangements discussions are ongoing with the CCG to ascertain as to whether the information could be reported differently.  In response to a Member’s question, the Interim Executive Director reported that a further break-down providing reasons for specific health delays, can be provided to members of the Committee.

The Integrated Team Discharge Manager responding to a Member’s question, reported that the publicity surrounding the possible closure of the walk in centres did affect A&E attendances.

The Integrated Team Discharge Manager reported that there has been a great deal of work undertaken with partners in the Acute Trust, the CCG and nursing homes, in respect of discharge planning. 

With regards to the development of integrated IT systems across partner organisations, the Interim Executive Director reported that Pennine Care and Community health services already have an integrated IT system.  A bid for additional GM monies was recently submitted to help support the further development of IT infrastructure.

The Interim Executive Director reported that monies from the Transformation Fund will be spent on developing the Home First initiative.

Currently a Bury social worker would visit any hospitals where a Bury Resident is an in-patient.  Part of the GM devolution agreement will include the development of the GM trusted assessor system.  This will enable and allow any social worker to assessor any patient, this arrangement already exists within Pennine Acute NHS Trust.   

It was agreed:

1.   Further updates in respect of delayed discharge will be considered at future meetings of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Information in respect of the break-down of the reasons for the delayed discharge attributed to health delays will be reported at a future