Decision details

That a variation be agreed to the existing nursing bed block contract with Mission Care for a period of 9 months commencing on 1^st July 2017.

That a Project Manager post be approved for 12 months to oversee the implementation and management of the proposal.

That an update report be provided to Care Services PDS Committee in January 2018, with the final evaluation reported in April 2018. 

The Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to ensure that it is not contributing towards the unnecessarily delay of patients being discharged from hospital.  To support this, the Local Authority has a block contract for 48 nursing home placements and a further contract with Mission Care for an additional 12 placements on a first refusal basis.  As it is not possible to predict the future demand for nursing home beds and there are times when all contracted beds are full, the Local Authority often has to spot-purchase additional nursing bed placements which has a significant cost implication and the potential to delay discharge from hospital.

To ensure sufficient availability of nursing home placements during Winter 2017/18, it is proposed to secure a maximum of 12 additional nursing home placements managed by the Local Authority for a nine month trial period.  These additional places will be allocated on the basis of a maximum stay of up to six weeks after which patients will either be ready to return home or to have a permanent placement identified.  To deliver this, it is requested that the Local Authority vary its existing contract with Mission Care to purchase 12 additional places from 1^st July 2017 to ensure that sufficient capacity is in place by 1^st October 2017, and that a Project Manager be recruited for a period of 12 months to oversee the implementation and management of this proposal to enable placements to be fully maximised and for the programme to be monitored and evaluated.