Agenda item

Report CSD20091

The Board considered a report providing an update on the draft Bromley Winter Assurance Plan 2020-21. The Associate Director – Discharge Commissioning, Urgent Care and Transfer of Care Bureau advised that this item was originally scheduled to come to the 3^rd December 2020 meeting, however on reflection it was felt that this was too late, and would not allow enough time for Board Members to influence the Plan.

Over the past few years, the local health and social care system had felt increased pressure during the winter months, with most health and social care services seeing a surge of activity and demand with a more complex range of needs challenged by seasonal presentations like flu and norovirus. The additional pressures on the health and social care system, which were primarily from older and frail people, during the winter months presented a challenging landscape, even more so with the impact of a potential COVID-19 second wave. Bromley wider health and social care system leaders had developed the plan to safely and effectively manage the additional pressures during this period. The plan was aligned with the One Bromley Recovery Plan which had been approved by the One Bromley Executive. 

The Bromley Winter Assurance Plan was in draft format and had been considered and reviewed at the Bromley A&E Delivery Board. It would also be submitted to the SEL Urgent and Emergency Care Board for review. This approach included coordinated planning for, and management of, winter pressures and other periods of enhanced demand on the care system. The Board was facilitated by NHS SEL CCG (Bromley), working in partnership with King’s College Hospital, the London Borough of Bromley, Greenbrook Healthcare, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Bromley Healthcare, Bromley GP Alliance, St Christopher’s, the London Ambulance Service and Bromley Third Sector Enterprise. 

Last year, the Bromley System Winter Plan brought together a single view of how the system would proactively manage winter and address key areas, such as: preventing escalation of need; hospital admission and attendance; 7 day working; reducing stranded patients; and providing early supported discharge. However, this year would include parallel planning for a potential COVID-19 second wave set out in the 3^rd Phase of NHS Response letter sent out by NHS England / Improvement on 31^st July 2020.

The Associate Director – Discharge Commissioning, Urgent Care and Transfer of Care Bureau informed Board Members that she would be very happy to receive comments and feedback on the Plan outside of the meeting.

The LBB Director of Adult Social Care informed Board Members that notification had been received the previous week that there would, for the first time, be a requirement to complete a Winter Plan for Adult Social Care. The deadline for submission was the 31^st October 2020. It was agreed that this would be circulated to Board Members once complete.

The Chairman noted that the final Bromley Winter Assurance Plan 2020/21 would be presented to the Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee on 21^st October 2020.

RESOLVED that the update on the Winter Assurance Plan 2020-21 be noted.