Agenda item

Report attached.

The East London Health and Care Partnership (ELHCP) had previously been known as the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). It had been felt however that the STPs had been developed in isolation and had not developed sufficient levels of engagement. The plan had been developed in the context of changes in East London including a fast growing, diverse population and reduced funding to Councils.

Figures from October 2016 predicted that the North East London health economy would face a £580 million gap in funding by 2021. Whilst people were living longer, they were also suffering with more complex illnesses etc. Officers were looking to relieve this position by measures such as relocating GPs and reprocuring the NHS 111 service. Work was also in progress on prevention by for example encouraging self-care and reducing delayed discharges from hospital. It was accepted that there were difficulties in recruiting doctors and nurses as well as with the provision of key worker accommodation.

The above issues meant it was necessary to collaborate and bring services together although there were different cultures in Councils compared to the NHS as well as different financing mechanisms. The STP and now ELHCP therefore sought to bring together different parties such as Local Authorities, the NHS, carers and the voluntary sector. A document had recently been produced explaining in clear language what the ELHCP meant to local people and a revised version of this would be circulated to the Sub-Committee.

A community group had been formed to support the Partnership which comprised many different voluntary sector groups. It was also wished to involve charities, schools, colleges and hospices in this work. The Council Chief Executive was the lead Council officer for the London-wide steering group.

A wider partnership was needed to consider cross-sector issues such as performance monitoring, assurance and GP recruitment. The provision of key worker accommodation was an issue and it was hoped that proceeds from the sale of NHS estates could be retained within East London. Work was also in progress to establish career paths within midwifery.

Concerns were raised by Members over the rising population locally and that health facilities were not sufficient to cope with this. Officers agreed that the NHS workforce was the biggest single issue and that a large amount of resources was having to be spent on agency staff. Work was under way to develop the clinical training programme as well as other initiatives such as the introduction of physician associates in Waltham Forest and trying to have community pharmacies taking on some work of GPs. Some funding was also available to recruit more GPs from overseas.

It was felt that NHS language needed to be simplified in order that people attended the right facility rather than just A & E. Other changes to the system were needed including reducing amounts spent on prescribing drugs that could be cheaply obtained in any supermarket.

It was agreed that, for the aims of the ELHCP to be achieved, different ways of working had to be found such as e.g. use of phone apps to monitor heart conditions. It was aimed to give people greater control over their own health although this would take time to achieve. Updates on progress with meeting objectives could be given to the Sub-Committee.

It was also noted that there were linkages from much of this work to the BHR Integrated Care Partnership and also to work in Havering to establish a locality model.

It was AGREED that an update on the work of the ELHCP should be taken at the meeting of the Sub-Committee in March 2018.