Agenda item

Update on Black Country Sustainability and Transformation Plan - report to follow

[Andy Williams, Accountable Officer, Black Country Sustainability and Transformation Plan, to present update on progress]

Minutes:

Andy Williams, Accountable Officer, Black Country Sustainability and Transformation Plan, thanked the panel for the invitation to give an update on progress of the current work since the plan was published. The Accountable Officer explained the reason why the area was not co-terminus as it covers four CCGs and a variety of NHS providers. The plan covers 1.4. million people. The Accountable Officer explained that the partners work collectively and stressed that the STP Board has no statutory powers which presents several different challenges which had been outlined in the report. The STP includes 18 different organisations.

 

The Accountable Officer outlined the triple challenges facing the health sector in terms of gaps in care quality, health outcomes and financial sustainability

 

The Accountable Officer commented on the challenge in meeting demand with the resources available and the pressure to achieve the savings target detailed in the plan. The Accountable Officer commented about the work being done to help people stay independent and reduce demand on secondary care to give better health outcomes – there will be different approaches depending on the needs of each area within the STP footprint area.  The panel discussed the work being done to address the wider determinants of health and the need for key agencies to work collaboratively.

 

The panel queried the level of co-operation between the different agencies involved the aims of STP and impact of changes outside the footprint area. The Accountable Officer commented on the health challenges from Walsall and Staffordshire which is adding pressure in services and the work being done to improve performance. The Accountable Officer commented on the discussions to look at possible reconfiguration of hospital services to reduce the current number to four sites which may be more sustainable in the future.

 

The Accountable Officer explained that the STP does not have a legal status and each area has sovereignty about the provision of health care and is not a mandatory forum for consultation about planned changes to the provision of services. The panel queried if there should be concern that leads have not been named in the governance structure for Wider Determinants of Health structure chart. David Watts explained that work is ongoing and that he one of the leads for one of areas listed.

 

The Accountable Officer responded to a question about the impact of not achieving the budget savings target detailed in the STP document and explained how the figure had been estimated. The estimate gap will depend on the outcome of discussions with RWHT about the cost of medical procedures and shifting spending to community care by offering alternatives to hospital.

 

The panel discussed the issue of a lack of public awareness about the STP and implications for the delivery of services in the future. The Accountable Officer commented that publicity about the STP had been attempted in the past but it was agreed that individual organisations would be responsible for this area. Furthermore, it had been agreed at early stage that the STP would not lead to the creation of new regional decision making structure.  The panel commented that it was important that the public get a clear message about the implications of the STP.

 

The panel queried how issue of wider determinants of health were being considered as part of STP work and how it linked with other areas outlined in the presentation. The Accountable Officer explained that the issue of the wider determinants of health are shaped by individual councils to reflect their local issues. Furthermore, there are plans to identify leads in discussions with directors of adult social care to deal with health challenges that affect the region, for example, infant mortality rates. The STP is a ‘vehicle’ that can support the changes that can tackle the wider detriments that influence this.

 

The Accountable Officer thanked the panel for the opportunity to present a briefing today and offered to attend future meetings if requested to give an update on progress.

 

Resolved:

            The panel agreed to receive the report and note the progress made to take forward the Black Country STP.

Supporting documents: