Agenda item

Following the development of a Dementia Strategy for Medway in 2015, this report outlines progress achieved since the publication of the Strategy, and sets out the main findings following a more detailed needs and supply analysis of the current provision in Medway.

This exercise analysed population, needs, activity and costs data, and conducted extensive discussions with people with dementia and their carers across Medway, as well as other key stakeholders across the system.

The report concludes by identifying an action plan to take the work forward to the next stage of development.

Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Partnership Commissioning introduced the report on the dementia gap analysis and joint commissioning plan which had been written following the adoption of the Dementia Strategy by the Council and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

As part of her introduction she paid tribute to Major Maurice Bernard, OBE who had died recently.  She stated that he had been very engaged in the process of developing dementia services until the time of his death.  His own personal case study had been quoted in the report.

In addition to the partnership working with the CCG there had been a significant engagement with public health in launching the dementia friends programme.  She explained that, following engagement with service users and carers it was clear that a strategic shift in practice was necessary to enable the offer to be less about a prescribed set of services, and more about flexibility, to fit with what may be required.

In explaining the content of the Dementia Commissioning Plan it was stated that it was planned to set up a Steering Group to oversee the implementation of the action plan, a Dementia Whole System Summit was also planned for 25 February 2016.

The Chief Clinical Officer, NHS Medway CCG emphasised the importance of early diagnosis as far as dementia is concerned but welcomed the shift in focus for the service.

Reference was made to a visit by a Member of the Committee to a dementia café the previous week and the view was put forward that although the group was well intentioned there seemed to be a gap in the service provided in that it was primarily directed towards the sufferer of dementia rather than there being any real support for the main carer/partner who are often struggling to cope with the life-changing and very significant behavioural changes in their loved one.   The Director of Children and Adults Services reminded Members that there would shortly be a Member in-depth task group on ‘how far has Medway gone in becoming a dementia-friendly community’ and suggested that this feedback could be fed into the scoping meeting for that review.

The Deputy Director, Children and Adults informed Members that there would be a refresh of the Carer’s Strategy shortly, which he would bring to the Committee in due course.  The carers themselves are contributing to the document so are very much involved in the content.

A Member asked what was being done about minority groups and what contacts were in place.  The Assistant Director, Partnership Commissioning explained that existing forums were being used to contact minority groups and that being inclusive was at the heart of the Alzheimer’s Society work.  A request was made that this information is included in the report back in August 2016.

In response to a question it was stated that it was not possible to specify the exact number of people with dementia who were among the numbers of patients waiting for discharge from the hospital.  It was stated that the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Programme Team were working on the issue of delayed discharges and how to improve the experience for patients and speed up discharge from an acute bed.

Decision:

The Committee:

(a)  Noted the report;

(b)  Noted that the comments made during the meeting would be shared at the point of scoping the Member in-depth review into how far Medway has gone in developing a dementia-friendly community.