Agenda item

This paper provides summary information about NHS England (Kent and Medway’s) commissioning plans for Medway for the period 2014/2015 and 2015/2016.

Discussion:

The Director, Kent and Medway, NHS England introduced the updated commissioning plans for NHS England, Kent and Medway and drew the Board’s attention to the revisions since the previous meeting.

She stated that some Local Area Teams had received revised allocations from NHS England but that Kent and Medway had yet to hear further details.  As such the commissioning plans had not as yet been signed off by NHS England.

Following questioning she stated that finance had been allocated to the Family Nurse Partnership and she hoped to give further details on the budget allocation in a supplementary paper to the 17 June meeting of the Board.

Discussion took place about military health and offender health and the Democratic Services Officer was requested to forward to the Director details of the motion agreed at Council to enhance the Armed Forces Covenant to support those people affected by exposure to radiation or asbestos.  Some Board Members requested advice as to how these local aims could be fed to the relevant commissioning organisation and the Director undertook to investigate this request.

In relation to offender health it was explained that the budget for offender health was dealt with nationally.  The representative of Healthwatch Medway asked whether there was any opportunity to work as a whole system around people leaving the armed forces to help them adjust to civilian life, organise housing etc.  She also asked whether there was any opportunity for occupational health and interpreting services to be commissioned across Medway to bring about some efficiencies.  The Director undertook to look into the suggestions made.

The Director, Kent and Medway, NHS England agreed to a discussion with NHS Medway CCG and the Director of Children and Adults in connection with health checks for people with learning disabilities in a bid to raise awareness.

In response to a query from the Director of Public Health it was stated that armed forces public health is commissioned by NHS England (Bath, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire).

A request was made for more detail at the June meeting of the Board of the numbers of service personnel leaving the forces and encountering difficulties and the amount of support being put in place for them in order that the Board could understand the issues they face.  A question was asked as to the numbers of service personnel in Medway who end up in the criminal justice system but it was stated that this information would need to be sought from the Prison Service.  The Chief Operating Officer, NHS Medway CCG stated that it would be of interest to see how other Health and Wellbeing Boards dealt with common issues and information collection.

Decision: 

(a)   The Health and Wellbeing Board confirmed that the Local Area Team (Kent and Medway) 2 year operational plan reflects the local priorities agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board accepting that more work needs to be done on the plan;

(b)   The Director, Kent and Medway, NHS England was requested to respond to the issues raised during the meeting and produce an update to the 17 June 2014 meeting.