Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report presented by Deborah Fellowes, Scrutiny Manager, which set out the findings and recommendations of the above Scrutiny Review.

The four main aims of the Review had been:-

·                Definition of a good discharge from hospital and, therefore, how was a failed discharge identified.

·                Reasons for failed discharges.

·                Discharge arrangements for those with care plans and those without.

·                Patient experiences.

The review was conducted by way of a spotlight review and made eight recommendations:-

1.     That ways should be considered as to how to involve Community Services more effectively with complex cases and their discharge arrangements. 

2.     The perception of problems relating to discharge was not supported by factual information, therefore, feeding this back to Elected Members should be a priority. Methods to achieve this should be explored.  Any individual issues raised with an Elected Member needed to be fed in by the most appropriate route.  Recommendation 2 also applied to staff and should be built into training programmes 

3.     Communications were key within the discharge process and scope to improve this should be explored.  Literature in plain language and making the process understandable for vulnerable patients should be considered. 

4.     The Care Co-ordination Centre and its discharge support service were supported by Members and they request that a progress report on this is brought to the Health Select Commission in 6-12 months.

5.     Members welcomed the re-activation of the Operational Discharges Group and requested a progress report on their work in 6-12 months.  This should also go to the Health Select Commission.

6.     Members endorse the implementation of the business process re-engineering as a result of this review and request that the outcomes are monitored by the Health Select Commission

7.     The policy on speeding up delayed discharges due to patient choice should be looked at as part of the business re-engineering process.

8.     Cabinet should consider whether Social Care Services should be provided at a greater level out of hours to move towards a 7 day week service, however, members noted the potential resource implication of this

Discussion ensued on the integration between health and social care services and whether this could feed into the integration funds that were going be available for Councils.

Reference was also made to the mismatch between perceptions about discharges and the actual reality of the situation.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the findings and recommendations be endorsed.

(2)  That the report be forwarded to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Cabinet.

(3)  That the report be considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

(4)  That the Cabinet response to the recommendations be fed back to the Health Select Commission.