Issue - meetings

The Board received a report from the Strategic Director, People, advising them that the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was seeking support for a revision of its inpatient services for older people and adults.  The item was presented by Simon Banks from NHS Halton CCG, Gail Briers, Chief Nurse at 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Angela Ryan, Assistant Director for Halton at 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.  Also in attendance was Mr Dyanne, a psychiatrist from the Brooker Centre in Runcorn.  

The report set out the review in the context of the journey of the implementation of the new model of care, and recommended the 5 Borough footprint configuration of beds for adults and older adults.  As discussed, to support the community provision, the model proposed the redesign of inpatient care to provide specialist assessment and care where this could not be safely supported within a community setting.

It was noted that there would be a public consultation, for a 12 week period, due to commence early September 2016, led by NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group and supported by all key stakeholders and supported by Halton Healthwatch.

Members wished to note their objections to the proposals for the following reasons:

·       Beds at the Brooker Centre would be taken away;

·       How would Halton patients and their families get to Leigh;

·       There were a high number of mental health patients in Halton who needed this service;

·       Halton’s Social Services staff would have to travel to Leigh to attend patients appointments;

·       Halton’s patients would be scattered in various locations;

·       We have a responsibility to the carers of mental health patients just like any other carers, this would affect them; and

·       Beds have not been reduced in other authorities.

In response to the Members’ concerns it was explained that the review was about providing specialty care in order to get the best outcomes for patients.  One of the ways of managing patients’ best interests was to review the best use of beds to achieve better care and better outcomes.

Members’ comments were noted and these would be included in the consultation responses.   Members of the Board felt that at this stage they could not support the bed based model being proposed and requested that the results of the consultation be shared with them at a future meeting of the Board, so that further consideration can be given to the proposals.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    notes the report;

2)    that the findings from the 12 week consultation period be presented to the Board at a future meeting; so that further consideration could be given to the proposals.