Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset Advisory Group
Thursday 24th July 2014
The Baptist Chapel, Manver’s Street, Bath
Present
Diana Hall Hall, Volunteer Health & Wellbeing Partnership Board Healthwatch Rep
Ann Harding, Volunteer, Enter and View
Roger Tippings, Volunteer, Clinical Commissioning Group Healthwatch Quality Rep
Tracey Wilmot, Bath and North Somerset, Health Advocate
Janet Dabbs, CEO, Age UK B&NES
Alex Francis, The Care Forum, Project Co-ordinator, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Kate Strong, The Care Forum, Research and Evaluation Officer
June Aland, The Care Forum, Note taker
Apologies
Pat Foster, The Care Forum, General Manager, Healthwatch
Public Submission - There was none.
Notes from the last meeting
SIRONA: Diana said that she has met with Dusty Walker who has responded to the discharge survey and agreed to come to a future meeting. Alex will invite her.
Action: Alex
Hw at TCF is trying to reach C&YP across all 4 areas of its areas: Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Somerset. Alex attended the Young People’s Network last week and they want Hw on their work plan. She is trying to help the LA understand how many voluntary organisations work across the area because there is no VOSCUR in the area.
Young People update: Alex has asked Helen Edelstein to raise the six monthly update with Mary Kierney Knowles.
CCG: Tracy Cox will be the Acting Accountable Officer until a permanent one is appointed. Jeanette George will be the Director of Commissioning and Transformation.
AWP Stakeholder meetings: Alex will check that Joni has the dates for these and will ensure that Diana and Roger have them too.
Action: Alex
Long term conditions pilot in GP surgeries: Janet said that the project is about GPs identifying those who may tip into care if they are not supported. Volunteers will work with them to reduce admissions, improve their quality of life and plug them into community support. There is a small report from Cornwall. S Glos were finding it difficult to recruit volunteers. It involves a lot of commitment and volunteers are not necessarily the answer.
The Well Being project by SIRONA funded by the CCG: This is looking after people 80 – 85 to accompany them to things etc. Janet said that Age UK B&NES did a write up on a bid to look at ‘frail, elderly’ people who are identified on GP’s lists. She did not receive an acknowledgement from the CCG.
The group expressed concern over the CCG’s short time scales on things. Roger commented that they do not send out minutes and agendas very far ahead. He would also like a copy of the CQC report in an alternative format.
E&V RUH: Roger said that it will probably be September before this happens as a suitable date has been difficult to arrange.
Safeguarding Board: Janet is on this and their Quality Assessment sub group and Diana will represent Hw. Pat will follow up on Lesley Hutchinson coming to talk to the group in September.
Action: Pat
Carers: Tom Fox-Proverbs is happy to come to meetings and Alex will follow this up:
Action: Alex
‘In Contact’ and the e bulletin: Janet does not receive this.
Action: Alex
Village Agents: Alex will meet with Denise in September or October.
Action: Alex
General public: Roger said that the CQC had put a Bristol care home into special measures after a visit. He is concerned that Hw needs more publicity to become known. Even professionals e.g. NHS staff do not know about Hw. Ann commented that Hw England does not have a profile and Roger added that a lot of other areas are having trouble too. He feels it needs a big effort in the autumn.
Healthwatch England – Unsafe discharge
The survey has gone out and 200 responses have already been received. Feedback needs to be with Hw England by the end of July and Morgan Daly will do this.
Action: Morgan
Annual Report
Alex summarized the report for the group. Diana said that Ronnie Wright had presented it to the Health and Wellbeing Board and they were quite impressed. Diana also told the board that Hw needs to see more of the CCG. Tracey Cox had committed to saying that there must be more formal co-operation.
Diana went on to tell them that the RUH and SIRONA should be sitting on the board; it was said that there may be conflicts of interest but she feels that they could leave the room in that situation. Janet commented that SIRONA’s contract is up for tender next year. Ann said that ‘conflict of interest’ is a big thing because the competition is tremendous.
Diana had asked the Board if she could make a statement about the Neurological Alliance and she was asked if she was lobbying. She pointed out that there is no mention of neurology in the JSNA 5 year plan and the Alliance wants to change that.
Issues and Concerns from Qtr 1: April – June
Kate said that there had been 23 pieces of information from the public but not a lot of new themes. Care at home is still a concern and confirms what was heard in year one. Alex said that Hw needs to be demonstrating its outcomes and the impact it is having. Kate suggested closing the loop by writing to the relevant people to tell them of the issues so that actions, if any, can be fed back to service users.
Ann said that continuity of care and carers is unachievable. Janet added that it needs to be explained to people that it is not possible to have the same person/people 7 days per week but come have different carers every day. This is something which could be looked at more closely. People are on low wages – what is their incentive. The level of care workers needs to be pushed up with training etc. The group agreed that Care at Home should be delved deeper into. Diana said that carers are not valued. Sarah Shapwell is the lead commissioner for Adult Social Care.
Hospital Transport: Alex said that HW is setting up a survey on the Hw B&NES web site around Arriva Transport. Janet said that the word ‘elderly’ should be replaced with ‘older people’.
The group agreed that the Qtr 1 report can be published.
Feedback from meetings
Diana and Roger went to the ‘Elevensies’ meeting. Ronnie’s theme was that Hw must demonstrate how effective it is being. Alex added that contract managers are applying increasing pressure to show the impact of Hw.
Roger said that he has some concerns about the consistency of volunteer support as Joni may be covering a different Hw area in the future.
Diana and Pat met the Chief Executive of the RUH and Diana is now invited to meet on a regular basis. They talked about Neurology and Diana feels that things are vastly better. They are interested in having an E&V. The RUH is on track to achieve Foundation status.
Work Plan
Better Care Fund: Hw will keep a watching brief.
Care at Home: This to be put on the work plan and followed up.
Action: Pat
Any Other Business
Roger said that there had been an issue with a 17 year old youth in Radstock who was unable to get access to residential mental health services and was considering committing suicide. There is a need to get to both sides of the story to see if it should be a concern for Hw and a response from AWP should be sought.
Action: Alex
Roger said that NICE guidelines indicate that all NHS Trusts should strive to have 1 nurse for every 8 patients. Southmead Hospital says it can meet this but he would like to hear RUH’s. Alex will enquire.
Action: Alex
Janet said that there is a Age UK pilot project in the Chew Valley around health inequalities in older people. There will be a digital photography course in August and September where people will be taught to take photographs as a way of expressing themselves. From this an exhibition will be made which will travel around the villages.
Dates of the next meetings
Tuesday 2nd September, 10am – 12pm, The Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton
Thursday 2nd October, 10am – 12pm, Peasedown St. John Community Centre, Peasedown St. John
Tuesday 11th November, 10am – 12pm, Twerton Village Hall, Landseer Road, Twerton
Tuesday 9th December, 10am – 12pm, Fox Hill and Combe Down Community Centre, Hawthorn Grove
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