Jacqui Evans, Assistant Director for Unplanned Care & Community Care (CCG/WBC), presented the Board with update on the progress and developments across the unplanned care system, overseen by A&E Delivery Board.

The report provided the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board with an update on progress and developments across the unplanned care system, overseen by A&E Delivery Board.

Members were informed that Wirral had faced a challenging period during the winter of 2016, continuing to date. The acute hospital and A&E had seen unprecedented pressure during winter 16/17. There had been little let up on that pressure throughout the summer months.  From a community perspective, domiciliary care had been challenging, key providers were leaving the market at a time of increased demand for services. Recruitment & retention of key professionals, especially therapists, nurses and care staff had also had an impact.

It was reported that the system had also recognised the need to deliver transformational change, across all organisations, including the need for a real shift in behaviours and culture to be able to respond resiliently to demand and ensure positive patient outcomes and experiences.  These challenges had resulted in consistent non-achievement of the 4 hour standard.  As such the acute had been in the bottom quartile nationally for performance during the first two quarters of the year. This was a situation owned and recognised as a whole system challenge, requiring collaborate solutions and significant transformational change at pace.  The urgent care challenges for Wirral were therefore a priority, acknowledging all organisations had a part to play and that there were opportunities to improve connections between planned and unplanned care.

The report also provided details of Transformational Priorities going forward for 17/19 and outlined priorities the system had agreed, based on a combination of national best practice guidance, mandated practice and assessment and understanding of the local situation.

The Board was informed that the key issue for Wirral partners was to turnaround urgent care delivery in Wirral and ensure performance was significantly improved over the coming winter months. .  Members were informed of the key areas to address the current Wirral situation and improve performance and were informed that the system had improved significantly over the past couple of months. Due to the combined efforts to deliver the priorities described in the report, improvement against the 4 hour standard had improved and maintained and would be further improved. The system leaders were fully committed to deliver the standards required and ensure patient safety.

Members were informed that there was a detailed single unplanned care system plan, incorporating winter planning and the Better care fund priorities. This had been commended as an approach by NHSE and held as national best practice.

There was now a system dashboard in place with progress monitored and reported by exception to A&E delivery board on a monthly basis.

The Chair thanked Jacqui Evans for a very comprehensive report and it was;

Resolved – That;

1  the progress on priorities overseen by A&E delivery board be noted.

2  the interdependencies of all partners to the resilient delivery of the 4 hour standard be recognised.