Agenda item

Report ACH21-054

The Board considered a report setting out the Bromley Better Care Fund (BCF) 2021-22 Plan and sought approval for its submission to NHS England.

The BCF programme supported local health and social care systems to successfully deliver the integration of health and social care in a way that supported person-centred care, sustainability and better outcomes for people and carers. The BCF encouraged integration by requiring clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities to enter into pooled budget arrangements and agree an integrated spending plan.

In support of BCF receipts from government, all local areas were required to have a BCF Plan. The last Bromley BCF Plan had been for the period 2019/2021 with the requirement to update plans in 2020 suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being past the mid-year point for the year it was a requirement to submit a BCF Plan for 2021/22 as part of the assurance arrangements for receiving the BCF grant. The BCF 2021-22 planning requirements, published on 30^th September 2021, set out conditions for implementing the government’s Policy Framework for the Better Care Fund programme for this financial year. This framework set out national conditions, metrics, and funding arrangements for the BCF programmes in 2021 to 2022. As the BCF was one of the government’s national vehicles for driving health and social care integration, a key theme of local plans was the designing and delivery of integrated care across health and social care systems.

The Assistant Director for Integrated Commissioning advised that with the approval of the Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Health, and agreed jointly with the Chief Executive of South East London CCG, the draft BCF Plan had been submitted to NHS England in time to meet the deadline of 16^th November 2021. The BCF guidance allowed for an arrangement whereby the Plan may be submitted to NHS England in advance of the formal approval of the local Health and Wellbeing Board.

A Member noted that it would be helpful to have a summary chart listing the outcomes of the BCF work. The Assistant Director for Integrated Commissioning advised that the BCF Plan itself only allowed the inclusion of a limited number of indicators, however further information relating to the outcomes of the BCF was provided in the Information Briefing to the Health and Wellbeing Board – item 1 – ‘Better Care Fund and Improved Better Care Fund Performance Update – Q2 2021/22’. It was noted that a summary chart could be considered for inclusion in the next BCF Plan submission.

In response to a question, the Assistant Director for Integrated Commissioning highlighted that admissions avoidance was a key priority of the Plan, with support given to people in their homes and care homes. The London Ambulance Service were involved in terms of wider practice or capacity discussions but not recipients of BCF funds. The London Ambulance Service did have greater involvement in the discharge planning arrangements outlined in the Bromley Winter Plan.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Assistant Director for Integrated Commissioning said that funding of £42m was received specifically to spend on creating integrated care and health arrangements.

RESOLVED that the submission of the BCF 2021-22 Partnership Plan to NHS England be approved.