Jacqui Evans, Assistant Director, Unplanned Care and Community Care Market Commissioning introduced her report that provided an update position for the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the recent Better Care Fund (BCF) submission for Wirral, currently part of the regional and national assurance process, and intentions with regards planning for Winter 2019/20.

The report informed that Wirral continued to use the Better Care Fund (BCF) to drive integration and prioritises transformational change and development of services which ultimately improved patient outcomes, supporting the move to financial sustainability within an integrated system. Priorities directly support the planned and unplanned elements of the Council’s 5-year plan. The report further informed that the key focus had been on supporting the development of 7-day community intermediate and neighbourhood services which promote step up and step-down support, facilitating people remaining in their own homes as long as possible and mitigating the need for acute care.

Members noted that whilst the BCF had supported a fundamental shift in Wirral, with a stark reduction in the need for long term care (20% reduction in the past 2 years) and a 17% growth in domiciliary activity in the past 18 months, there remained challenges in some areas, notably Length of Stay (LOS) in acute and community bed-based settings.

The report also informed that work was well underway to improve pathways and strengthen Wirral’s community services to reduce the numbers of people attending the Emergency Department (ED) and being admitted. The BCF was seen as core to system priorities, supporting the new 2019/20 requirements with a focus on Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and reducing the numbers of long stay patients.

The Assistant Director, Unplanned Care and Community Care Market Commissioning updated the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on key elements of her report, and outlined the key challenges faced by the BCF in the coming months.

Members questioned the Assistant Director in detail on areas such as system sustainability, access to mental health service provision, funding allocations and general levels of service provision in areas of deprivation, and specific details regarding additional GP appointments and the management thereof.

The Assistant Director responded accordingly but highlighted the workforce challenges faced in Wirral and successes in avoiding high numbers of hospital readmissions, with 85% of people remaining at home 91 days after discharge.

The chair thanked the Assistant Director, Unplanned Care and Community Care Market Commissioning for her report.

Resolved – That the report be noted.