Councillor B Mooney declared a personal interest in this item of business by virtue of her employment with Age UK.

The Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Public Health introduced a report by the Director of Adult Social Services and the Chief Clinical Officer CCG which provided an update on the Better Care Fund re-submission put together on behalf of the Council and Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group. Appended to the report was Wirral’s Better Care Fund Plans for Integrated Commissioning of Health and Social Care – Executive Summary September 2014.

The Cabinet was informed that the Better Care Fund was explicitly intended to facilitate the integration of Health and Social Care systems at a local level.  The Health and Wellbeing Board had a critical role in influencing and monitoring progress in relation to integration and had a key role in signing of submissions.

NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Council were required to resubmit a final ‘Better Care Plan’ for 2015/2016 to NHS England on 19 September 2014, following approval by the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board on 17 September 2014, explaining how they intend to improve local services. 

The Cabinet was also informed that following the original submissions in April 2014, NHS England had advised that they would be requesting further detailed work nationally, in response to feedback received from the Local Government Association, the Department of Health and Acute Trusts.  On 11 July 2014, Andrew Ridley, Managing Director of North and East London Commissioning Support Unit had made clear his intentions regarding a ‘pay for performance’ framework.

Revised high level guidance had been circulated on 25 July 2014, with revised full guidance and the documents being used on 18 August 2014.  The Cabinet was informed of the detail.

NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Council had agreed through Vision 18, with key providers, a level of ambition of 15% reduction in emergency admissions over three years and to achieve this had recommended 25 schemes, under four themed areas.

The Cabinet noted that the revised guidance clarified the performance related element, focussing on delivery of the reduction in non-elective admissions, 5% for 2015 / 2016.  Payment would be related to delivery of the target.  Potential funding would be held to mitigate the impact of non delivery and acute pressure.

RESOLVED:

That the Better Care Fund final re-submission approved at Health and Wellbeing Board be noted.