Issue - meetings

Chris Edwards, CCG, reported that the Task Group had communicated via e-mail due to there being no significant changes to be made to the submission.  A joint tele-conference had taken place with NHS England to provide external assurances.

No significant feedback had been received as yet but a report would be received as to whether NHSE’s requirements had been met.

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.

- verbal update

The Chairman reported that the latest letter received from NHS England dated 25^th July set out the changes to the Fund.

The most important change was that in relation to the previous £1bn Payment for Performance Framework which had now been revised so that the proportion linked to performance was dependent solely upon an area’s scale of ambition in setting a planned level of reduction in total emergency admissions i.e. general and acute non-elective activity.

Nationally the assumption was that this would be in the region of a 3.5% reduction against the baseline detailed in the technical guidance.  If this was achieved, it would equate to a national payment for performance pool of around £300M.  The remaining £700M would be available upfront in 2015/16 to be invested in NHS commissioned out-of-hospital services.  The detail would be subject to local agreement.

Although Rotherham had been selected as 1 of the fasttracked 15, it had been decided not to proceed due to the unknown/unquantified burden and the changes that were being made almost on a daily basis.  The present scheme was significantly changed from what had originally been proposed.

The Fund had caused tensions between the Local Authority and CCG and it was important that lessons were learnt as a result.  Locally there had been groundbreaking work around integration which the Fund had diverted the partners from and it was crucial that the partnership and direction of travel was not lost.

The submission now had to be submitted by 19^th September which was before the next scheduled Board meeting.

The CCG had reduced its non-elective admissions by 10% during the last 2 years; its ambition was to maintain the non-emergency admissions at the 2008/09 levels.  This was part of the 5 year plan which they had widely consulted upon.  NHS England would be looking for a 5.8% reduction but the CCG would strongly argue that they had already achieved the reduction and making the case of maintaining that reduction.

It was proposed that the Task Group be delegated authority to complete and submit the application by the September deadline.

Resolved:-  That, subject to no significant changes being made, the Task Group be delegated the authority to complete the submission and submit to NHS England by the 17^th September, 2014, deadline.