Agenda item

The Committee will consider a Report by the West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group on Covid recovery planning, including winter planning.

12.1        The Committee considered a report by West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (copy appended to the signed minutes) and were told that: -

·         £7.7m is being invested in primary care to support access

·         The Clinical Commissioning Group is working with GP practices, GP federations and primary care networks to identify areas where support is needed

·         Partnership working across all Sussex providers will help increase capacity for elective surgery

·         The expected impact of planned care recovery is tracked using a dynamic system to ensure a response to surges in demand

·         Frailty services are improving

·         Discharge lounges are being extended

·         Where clinically appropriate, at least 25% of patients continue to attend outpatient visits virtually

·         Extra capacity at University Hospital Sussex and work with partners is helping deal with demand with less patients waiting 62 days or more to be seen

·         Care homes and emergency care are supported

·         £34m has been invested in mental health services and a Sussex-wide help line is in place

·         Voluntary and community sector organisations are also helping to deliver continuing mental health care

·         There is a recruitment drive to attract staff from the UK and abroad

·         Work is taking place to encourage those who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 to receive the vaccination

·         It is hoped that uptake of the flu vaccination will increase again this year

12.2        Summary of responses to committee members’ questions and comments: -

·         The July figure of 57% for face-to-face GP consultations was higher than the national average and was expected to increase

·         New telephony systems should help people contacting GP surgeries

·         The digital system for GP appointments was introduced much quicker than anticipated due to the pandemic and would be improved

·         There will be communication campaigns about using NHS 111 and repeat prescriptions

·         More work was taking place to deal with the increase in eating disorders amongst children and young people

·         Services were working towards meeting the two-week deadline for seeing cancer patients, which was not being universally met currently, including the provision of weekend clinics for dermatology in September

·         The number of people waiting a year or more for elective surgery had decreased

·         Programmes existed to target groups where cancer screening was low

·         South Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust was using paramedic practitioners to offer advice to their ambulance drivers to make sure that only people who need to go to hospital are conveyed to hospital

·         Care/nursing home residents were treated at the scene if possible

·         Plans existed to improve handover times at acute hospitals

·         The Winter Plan would be finalised in October and would be very detailed and include risks and mitigations

·         Vaccinations for 12 – 15-year-olds would take place in schools

·         Booster vaccinations would be available to priority groups in the autumn

·         The patient voice was heard through systems and processes within the NHS and Integrated Care System, with a public involvement framework in place Actions: West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group to provide updates on the Post Covid Assessment and Support Service and Mental Health (including the Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service)

12.3     Resolved – that: -

             i.        Democratic Services work with the Clinical Commissioning Group to ensure that further reports have a higher level of data included

            ii.        The Committee raises it concerns to West Sussex MPs on the importance of the importance of ensuring that staff from overseas are able to work within the NHS

           iii.        Democratic Services liaises with the NHS to ensure that the induction session on 12 November 2021 covers information on post covid support, the ambulance service and further detail on winter planning

          iv.        The Committee encourages the restoration of face-to-face GP services when appropriate

            v.        Future reporting includes primary care as part of the urgent care information

          vi.        Future reporting highlights the patient voice

         vii.        The Committee receives an update on mental health services transformation in twelve months