Agenda and draft minutes

To be notified of the appointment of Substitute Members.

Councillor T Mulvenna was in attendance as a substitute for Councillor P Bunyan.

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

5. Care Quality Account.

Councillor Dr Olly Scargill, Non-Registerable Personal, Works within the Northumbria Healthcare Trust.

To Confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2025

It was resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2025 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

A presentation will be provided outlining Annual Plan and Quality Account

Dr Jeremy Rushmer, Executive Medical Director attended the meeting and presented the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Annual Plan and Quality Account.

The Quality Account 2024/25:

•      Look back at safety, quality and improvement priorities for 2024/25 and focus for 2025/26

•      Standard requirements for all trusts to report

•      Written in line with annual reporting guidance

•      Key measures and phrases used that are auditable

•      Includes information on mortality and preventable deaths, areas of achievement

•      Following the guidance issued in January 2021, which stated that foundation trusts do not need to instruct external audit firms to conduct assurance work on the Quality Account, no indicators will be tested again this year

•      The council of governors will therefore not be required to select an additional indicator to be audited

The Committee were reminded of the safety, quality and improvement priorities for 2024/25:

1. Reduce medication delays in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
2. Improving cancer pathways for patients presenting through the Emergency Department with a likely or suspected cancer (new or recurrent malignancy) to handover to a specialist team.
3. Improving the urology cancer pathway performance in people with prostate cancer.
4. Reduce the incidence of trust acquired pressure damage in the orthopaedic-geriatric patient journey.
5. Reduce the incidence of urinary tract associated gram negative blood stream infections.
6. Deteriorating patient.
7. Reduce incidence of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) of more than 1.5L.
8. Improving bedrail/ bed height risk assessments.
9. Staff and Patient Experience.

and were provided with an update of performance against priorities for quarter 3.

Jeremy advised that every year the Trust, in collaboration with business units, governors and other stakeholders identify a number of safety, quality and improvement priorities.

For 2025/26 eight possible quality improvements have been identified, some of these priorities build on previous improvement work and others are new priorities aligned to the wider Patient Safety Strategy.  It was noted that business units will be working on many other safety and quality initiatives which form part of their annual plans.

Queries were raised by members of the sub-committee in relation to the priorities and clarification was provided in relation to patients with pressure ulcers, the Faster Diagnosis Standard and caesarean sections.

The Chair thanked Dr Rushmer for the presentation.

To provide an overview of the management of winter pressures in Adult Social Care including the use of the Discharge Support Fund.

The Sub-Committee received a report and presentation from Sue Graham, Better Care Fund Manager that provided an overview of the of the management of winter pressures in Adult Social Care including the use of the Discharge Support Fund.

The Committee were informed that the Authority works closely with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), local NHS trusts and other partners to plan for and operationally manage additional demand for social care as a result of winter conditions like flu and COVID. This includes supporting safe and timely discharges to maintain hospital flow.  The North Tyneside System receives discharge funding through the Better Care fund (BCF) of £3.963m. The funding value for 2025/26 was also £3.963m.

Planning starts well in advance for 2025/26, and the Better Care Fund (BCF) plan submission Is due 31 March 2025. This is a joint submission by the Authority and ICB, approved by Cabinet, ICB Executive and Health and Wellbeing Board. BCF planning includes a demand and capacity plan for Intermediate Care. Plans are aligned with ICB and acute trust operating plans. BCF plan also aligns with plans for long term social care demand and capacity via Market Sustainability and Improvement Plan governance (2025/26 plan must be submitted by 21 May 2025 to Department of Health and Social Care).

The Guidance, Requirements and Tools were explained to the Committee.

Following years of uncertain and ‘late in year’ winter pressures funding allocations, Discharge Support Fund began in October 2022 This funding continues through to 2024/25, total North Tyneside system value in 2024/25 is £3.963m. This is paid in two elements a direct grant to North Tyneside Council £2.238m and via the ICB £1.725m.  In 2025/26 the system values remain the same (no inflationary uplift) the amounts are mainstreamed into the BCF and the grant conditions ringfencing the spend to supporting discharge no longer apply.

The Committee were given an explanation about Step Down Beds and supporting people at home as well as some of the other schemes taking place.

Northumberland and North Tyneside both have 94% of discharges who are discharged on their planned Discharge Ready Date, which is the best in the region and higher than the England average. For patients who have a delay in discharge, North Tyneside patients experience at average of just over 6 days which is at the England average.  One area where delays can occur is for patients with a delirium.

The Committee were told about the future plans which included:

•        Working with Health partners to support the refocus from sickness to prevention and from hospital to community-based services

•        Continue to develop enhanced Reablement offer increasing capacity of the team and assessing the effectiveness of the overnight support offer

•        Investigating the need to commissioning specific beds for clients discharged with delirium

•        Continue to review current schemes to ensure they are delivering the right outcomes for our residents and provide value for money

Following the conclusion of the presentation the Committee were given the opportunity to make comment and  ...  view the full minutes text for item C28/24

To receive a verbal update regarding the proposed approach to scrutiny and work planning for the Caring sub-committee for the 2025-26 municipal year.

The board considered the priorities for inclusion in the Sub-committee’s work programme for the next year.

Thursday 17 July 2025 at 6.00pm.