Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation from representatives of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

A representative of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust will also be in attendance. 

            That the verbal update be received. 

The Chair welcomed the representatives from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and asked them to introduce themselves to the Committee. 

                        Professor Trevor Purt explained that he had been in post for a few months and commented on the changes that had been made in some significant areas.  It had been recognised that there was a need to turn the organisation around from being a secondary care acute trust and since BCUHB had been established five years ago, the vision and direction had changed to focus on prevention and enhanced community driven services.  The need to work in partnership with Local Authorities to focus on joint working arrangements was important and the Third and Voluntary Sectors also had a key role to play in achieving this.  Professor Purt explained that changes would need to be made to secondary care in the future and it was proposed that one hospital over three sites would be established.  A new structure had been put in place and three area directors had been appointed  (two were currently in post and the third would commence his role shortly) who would each have responsibility for two counties to develop and provide enhanced primary care and promote services for out of hospital care.  In the future, budgets would be held at a local level and devolved to area teams. 

                        Future planning was important to take the service forward and Professor Purt spoke of the work that was ongoing with partner organisations to achieve this.  He commented on the funding for the NHS to improve primary and community care which included £35m for the clusters, £25m for intermediate care, an element for improvements to IT infrastructure and a significant amount for other services such as cancer treatments.  He explained that planning was key and added that a three year plan had been due to be submitted at the beginning of April but a deferment had been sought and agreed to allow work to be undertaken on how to take the service forward.  The three year plan would be the overarching document but having a one year operational plan in place would allow time for meaningful engagement on providing a sustainable health service in North Wales.  A public consultation exercise would be undertaken later in the year so that the population of North Wales could put forward their comments on what they felt the service should provide.  Once the responses had been received, this would allow BCUHB to plan for the future. 

                        Professor Purt explained that some of the financial challenges faced by BCUHB had been addressed and significant improvement had been made in-year, which was positive, but the Board still faced financial pressures.  He commented on referral to treatment targets and of the pressures on Accident & Emergency (A&E) but he added that the least escalation in ambulance delays had been reported for the previous month.  The consultation period would be from May to September 2015 and Professor Purt explained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69