2:50

10 Minutes

The Board is asked to note the content of the NHS Long Term Plan report and its implications for the work of the Board (HWB9).

Members of the Board considered a report which summarised the key points of the NHS Long Term Plan and its implications for the work of the Board (HWB9).

Dr Collison introduced the report making reference to the term ‘stretched NHS’ used within the Plan, which synchronised very well with how the Board had developed recently with its prioritisation of integration, prevention and tackling health inequalities. Comments from other Board members were as follows:

-       Jo Cogswell commented on the emphasis in ensuring the different parts of the NHS worked seamlessly together.  She agreed with Dr Collison that this Board was now in a very strong position to initiate this, and the content of its work to date had resonated with the Plan;

-       The Chairman stated his view that this was a good long - term plan in that it was primarily concerned with how all organisations worked together as a system. As yet, the Green Paper on Social Care, which had been promised last year, had yet to emerge and the Green Paper on Prevention, due out in the summer of this year could well be delayed. He added that the Plan was a good opportunity to implement care systems the way Oxfordshire wanted it to be done. He expressed a hope that the Plan would be accompanied by the appropriate funding;

-       Councillor McHugh commented that there were many mentions of improved GP provision and digital initiatives, but no mention of improvements from the point of view of patients and nursing care in the community;

-       Professor Smith warmly welcomed the development of primary care networks, stating also that virtual care would be a large step forward for diagnostics and for the care home/ nursing care home sectors. It would also ease the pressure on acute care. He advocated the strengthening of the domiciliary nursing workforce to create teams of nursing professionals and care staff to help the more fragile patients to remain in their own home for longer;

-       Val Messenger welcomed the strong prevention theme throughout, since it had only been on the periphery before, and agreed that the Plan would be an enabler to the Board’s goals. She also welcomed the proposed investment in mental health as a very positive move;

-       Councillor Louise Upton commented that there was a need to work towards recruitment and training of staff before any plans could be brought to fruition, perhaps via Government funding. The Chairman responded that the Growth Board was working on the creation of more affordable houses for staff;

-       Professor Smith commented that more could be done to assist people to live in their own homes for longer, suggesting that there was scope for more dialogue with the district councils – for example, to build homes with stronger ceiling joists to withstand hoists so that people could remain at home to be cared for. Kate Terroni added that the newly appointed Joint Housing Officer, Gillian Douglas, was finalising her work plan and would be reporting on housing related issues in due course.

The Board AGREED to note the NHS Long Term Plan report.