Issue - meetings

That the update be noted.

The Chair welcomed Jonathan Falcus, Assistant Director of Community Services and Andrew Roach, Director of Mental Health & Learning Disabilities of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) to the meeting.

Mr. Falcus, who was attending on behalf of the Area Director East, Rob Smith, gave a detailed update on work being undertaken in a number of areas to improve health and social care in Flintshire.  This involved collaborations with Social Services officers and representatives from Mental Health Services and the independent sector to produce a plan to identify improvements to help facilitate patient discharge from hospital.  Recommendations from this work would be shared with the Chief Executive of the BCUHB and the six North Wales authorities to promote the development of support to the independent sector and improve patient flow.

Information was also given on the expansion of Community Resources teams in Flintshire and Wrexham to develop a 24/7 response service to care in the community.  Merged funding streams and primary care development monies were being used to achieve this more coherent service which would enable capacity to respond to unscheduled events outside normal working hours.  The initiative involved recruitment of additional resources such as District Nurses and generic workers, as well as extending access to Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists until 6/7pm on weekdays.  A further element was to develop a Frailty Assessment Unit which was a multi-disciplinary approach to creating a care plan in preparation for any potential crisis.  The introduction of hubs would enable patients to be assessed for their care needs.

The Chair said that a concern had been raised about smoking outside hospitals.  It was agreed that the Facilitator would forward this to Mr. Rob Smith for a response as he was Chair of the Smoking Cessation Group at BCUHB.

Councillor Hilary McGuill felt that the early intervention approach through the Frailty Assessment Unit could be ineffective, as patients generally needed hospital care at the point of such a crisis.  Mr. Falcus acknowledged that some patients’ needs were better addressed at district general hospitals, but there was clear evidence that the early assessment would benefit some other patients to identify potential options available if a crisis were to occur in consultation with families/carers.  In response to other queries, he confirmed that the Single Point of Access was now operational and that teams were in regular contact.  Explanation was also given on training/education to implement care plans with support from the Community Resources teams.

The Chair praised the services of Deeside Community Hospital and highlighted the importance of these facilities, including the new building in Rhyl, in caring for patients outside district general hospitals.  Mr. Falcus said that the transformation of Community Resources teams would give an opportunity to respond better to individuals’ needs and that pathway plans involved the use of community hospitals and ‘step-up/step-down’ beds.

Councillor Matt Wright welcomed the recruitment of additional District Nurses as this commitment had been made on the closure of community hospitals.  He sought clarification on how many would be recruited  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51