“To this end we are bringing together a range of resources from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Local Authority to create a single commissioner for Wirral, working through formal shared arrangements, and a Committee in Common to ensure that the Council and the CCG can effectively deliver their Health and Care functions.

“The aim is to deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time, in order to ensure that our residents are able to be as independent as possible but get access to important health and care services when they need them.”

Councillor Christine Jones introduced a report that followed earlier Cabinet reports of 16 January 2017 and 27 March 2017; it focussed on a key part of the broader integration of health and care services. The planning, funding and commissioning arrangements for all age health and care services.

Members noted that Cabinet approval had previously been sought to progress with the development of a single commissioning organisation bringing Local Authority functions together with the CCG, and that agreement had also been gained to commission a due diligence exercise to fully understand the potential benefits and risks of pooling resources with the NHS.

The report informed that the due diligence exercise was now complete and work had progressed in a number of areas. The report included a summary and response to the due diligence, the final business case, proposed governance arrangements and key elements of the Target Operating Model (TOM).

The report further informed that the proposal to create an integrated commissioner for health and care on Wirral would enable the commissioning of all age services to be commissioned through a single commissioner fulfilling the statutory health, care and wellbeing functions of the Council and the CCG. It would also support more effective delivery of strategic outcomes through a single planning framework and structure.

Councillor Christine Jones apprised Cabinet Members that the single commissioner initiative would enable the health and care system to use Wirral’s resources together to jointly create a more sustainable health and care system. Commissioning would provide system leadership and a focus on strategic outcomes for people, alongside the Place Based Care delivery arrangements that would ensure that the health and care provider system was fully integrated working together, with pooled budgets to deliver those outcomes for Wirral.

In response to comments made to him ahead of the meeting, the Leader informed Cabinet and those members of the public in attendance that the proposed integration of commissioning was neither an attack on the NHS, nor privatisation of the service, but had come about by the need to use Council and Health Service budgets wisely as a result of Central Government cuts. 

The report contained exempt information at Appendix 2 as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It was in the public interest to exclude the press and public under Paragraph 3 ‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding the information) i.e. the information contained in the appendices was commercially sensitive.

RESOLVED: That:

(1)  the Full Business Case as appended to this report, be received;

(2)  the content of this report including the sections relating to due diligence, governance and target operating model (TOM) be noted;

(3)  a Cabinet Committee be established, to sit alongside the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body of the NHS as a committee in common, to oversee the work of the single integrated health and care commissioner for Wirral and to take such Cabinet decisions as are required in respect of the Council’s relevant functions;

(4)  work continue with regard to the TOM and governance arrangements with the implementation of a single commissioning arrangement for 1 April 2018; and

(5)  a further progress report be brought to Cabinet in April 2018.