Agenda item

Briefing note and presentation of Adrian Stokes, Interim Accountable Officer, Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Adrian Stokes and Anna Hargrave, Chief Strategy Officer, South Warwickshire CCG have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Board received a briefing note from Anna Hargrave, Chief Strategy Officer, South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which provided an update on the NHS Covid-19 service changes. The Board also received a presentation from Adrian Stokes, Interim Accountable, Coventry and Rugby CCG on Covid-19 Restoration, Recovery, Reset. Both Anna Hargrave and Adrian Stokes attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The briefing note indicated that the Coventry and Warwickshire had responded at significant pace to the Covid-19 pandemic. The nationally mandated changes from NHS England and Improvement, along with local decisions, had been delivered along with as many services as possible. The response was being managed in four phases:

Phase 1 – Service change (immediate response to Covid-19)

Phase 2 – Restoration (6 weeks from May to July)

Phase 3 – Recovery (to March 2021)

Phase 4 – Reset (2021/22).

The Board were informed that a Reset Co-ordination Group (RCG) had been established to oversee all 3 phases of the Restoration, Recovery and Reset Programme, reporting in to the Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care Partnership Executive Group.

The briefing note set out the details of the correspondence received from NHSEI during March and April concerning the mandated service changes including the immediate urgent response and a service change baseline exercise to understand material changes across Coventry and Warwickshire. The commitment to providing services, albeit in different locations or virtually through telephone and/or online services, was highlighted. In many areas it was essential to fast-track transformation initiatives to enable delivery of as many services as possible. In the future, maintaining the transformation would enable the meeting of the short to medium term challenges of restoration and recovery, providing a sound basis to reset the health and care system to one that was more effective and sustainable.

The presentation set out the context to restoration, recovery and reset with the ongoing backdrop of Covid-19. Restoration was very complex, essential services had been started but the system was facing long waiting lists in areas. The NHSEI letter concerning phase 3 (recovery) was expected soon. Reference was made to the positives from the last few months which included the strengthening of partnership working and the need to lock in innovation rather than go backwards.

The current governance arrangements for Coventry and Warwickshire were set out and included reference to the Kings Fund model with the key message being that services were up and running. The use of existing groups across the system had been encouraged.

Phase 2 priorities were: essential services; test, track and trace; care homes; and mental health. Members were informed of the current numbers of covid-19 patients in the local hospitals.

The presentation concluded with the following takeaway messages: that all four phases would happen simultaneously which meant much complexity; the level 4 response would be running into the winter which could coincide with a second wave as well as the usual winter pressures; the partnership working was a real positive and avoided duplication; and communication was key.

Members questioned the representatives on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  The use of the independent health sector to treat patients during the covid-19 pandemic

·  The measures in place at the hospital to prevent infection amongst patients and staff

·  What was being done to help the BAME communities to prevent the spread of covid-19

·  Would there be enough financial resource to allow the health system to cope with a second wave

·  A request for details about the number of infections and fatalities in local care homes

·  What support was being provided to assist with the staff who had worked in the health system during the pandemic

·  Further details about the staffing resource including the impact on service delivery and were staff able to work from home

·  Concerns about the high numbers of patients using the hospital pharmacy making social distancing difficult. Would it be possible for patients to collect prescriptions from their local chemist.

The Chair, Councillor Clifford, placed on record his thanks to all employees working in the local health and social care system.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The content of the briefing note and presentation be noted.

(2) Details of the numbers of Covid-19 infections and fatalities in local care homes to be sent to Board members.

(3) Concerns about the problems of social distancing at the pharmacy at UHCW and the options for patients to be able to use their local pharmacy for prescriptions (which is a national issue) to be raised with the Chief Operating officer at the hospital.

(4) The Board’s thanks for all those working in health and social care during the current pandemic to be conveyed as appropriate.