Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care & Public Health

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/142

Contact: Stephen Chandler, Corporate Director for Adult Services Tel: 07768 000707

Report by Corporate Director for Adult Services (CA12).

The report is for information and discussion. It provides a description of how the future Integrated Care System (ICS), which will cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West, will work. It highlights some of the potential benefits to being part of an ICS with examples of success from other areas.

It also provides a summary of the progress that has been made within Oxfordshire and the timelines associated with the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West (BOB) Integrated Care System Long Term Plan submission.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note and discuss the information contained within this report.

Recommendation agreed.

Cabinet considered a report that gave a description of how the future Integrated Care System (ICS), which will cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West, will work. It highlighted some of the potential benefits to being part of an ICS with examples of success from other areas.

The report provided a summary of the progress that had been made within Oxfordshire and the timelines associated with the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West (BOB) Integrated Care System Long Term Plan submission.

Veronica Treacher, Oxon Keep Our NHS Public, expressed concern at the latest structural changes. There was reason for concern with a single CCG to procure for a large number of people. Ms Treacher referred to the current proposals as the end of a series of reorganisations that had the effect of denationalising the NHS. Ms Treacher queried where democratic oversight was provided.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee stated that there had been lengthy discussion at the Committee, to which members of . Many of the questions being raised were not yet answerable. The situation was moving quickly and there was some concern that it might not meet the requirements for our own staff, residents and to address health inequalities. There was concern that it was not clear how the preventative agenda would be addressed. The Committee had been shocked to learn that senior appointments had been made of which they were unaware and they strongly recommended engaging with local councillors. The Committee had been concerned about democratic accountability with concern over the governance and scrutiny arrangements. The biggest concern had been around pooled budget arrangements. The Committee had queried whether there had been public consultation on the proposal to have a single large commissioning group by 2021 and believed that it was vital to understand the impact on pooled budgets.

Councillor Stratford moved the recommendation commenting that he shared some of the concerns raised by Councillor Brighouse. He welcomed the partnership approach and the opportunities provided but only if it resulted in better outcomes for residents. Oxfordshire was in a better place than many others with key decision makers already round the table and with a long history of collaboration. He was concerned at the lack of reference to prevention and stressed that a lot more had to be done to keep people out of hospital and GP surgeries. Governance too was a concern. Having said that this was the start of a process and he welcomed the involvement the scrutiny committees and HealthWatch. He was supportive of the process although understanding the concerns of the public and communication was key.

Stephen Chandler, Director of Adult Services thanked

Following discussion, it was:

RESOLVED:             to note the information contained within the report.