Issue - meetings

Report CS17027

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining a gateway review undertaken on the Intermediate Care Service which was currently delivered via a contract with Bromley Healthcare which was due to expire in September 2017.  Approval had been granted for the Local Authority’s financial contribution to the Intermediate Care Service until 31^st March 2017, and the report sought the approval of the Council’s Executive for an extension to the existing funding arrangements until 30^th September 2017 when it was proposed the service was once again jointly commissioned with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group as part of the wider Community Health Contract.

The Intermediate Care Service supported Bromley residents by facilitating hospital discharge and enabling better and speedier recovery following a period of hospitalisation through health-based therapy services and social care personal care services, both within service users’ homes or in nursing home beds which supported them in maintaining their independence.  The service aimed to reduced readmission rates and prevent unnecessary hospital admission.  The current contract had been awarded to Bromley Healthcare in October 2013 via a joint tender led by Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group and included the provision of intermediate care beds at Lauriston House nursing home and the Community Based Assessment and Rehabilitation Team service.  This service was also supported by 4.25 FTE Local Authority care management staff who worked solely with the Intermediate Care Service and who carried out the social care assessments for referrals to the service.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Agree the continuation of the Local Authority’s current funding arrangements for the intermediate care contract from 1^st April 2017 to 30^th September 2017 (six month pro-rata amounts) at a cost of £535,500 in 2017/18, of which £150k would be recharged to the Better Care Fund;

2)  Agree to jointly tender the intermediate care services with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group with a new contract commencing on 1^st October 2017; and,

3)  Agree to contribute a maximum of £1,071k per annum (of which £150k per annum would be recharged to the Better Care Fund), plus the cost of 6 FTE care worker posts (£188k per annum) to the Intermediate Care Service from October 2017.