Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Bobby Feeley, Lead Member for Social Care, Adult and Children’s Services (copy enclosed) informing members of the Welsh Government’s intention to establish integrated health and social care services for older people with complex needs, and seeking Cabinet’s approval of the draft Statement of Intent document for submission to the Welsh Government in response.

RESOLVED that Cabinet agrees that the draft Statement of Intent document (as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report) be submitted to Welsh Government as an initial regional response to the Welsh Government document “A Framework for Delivering Integrated Health and Social Care” (July 2013).

Councillor Bobby Feeley presented the report seeking Cabinet’s approval of the draft Statement of Intent (attached to the report) for submission to the Welsh Government in response to their intention to establish integrated health and social care services for older people with complex needs.  The Statement was a regional document but highlighted areas of good practice developed in Denbighshire.

The Chair of Partnerships Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Jeanette Chamberlain-Jones provided an overview of the scrutiny debate on the Statement confirming that the committee had welcomed the proposals and asked that sufficient resources be made available to deliver those integrated services.

Discussion focused on the following –

·        Welsh Language was highlighted as an important element to ensure people could converse in Welsh if they wished – it was also identified as an issue that would benefit from monitoring as part of the integration framework

·        details of the timeline to develop proposals for integrated provision were provided with the submission of further actions to Welsh Government required during the year and a completion deadline in December 2014

·        it was established that the integration agenda also involved the voluntary sector but funding for voluntary groups would need to be explored via locality areas

·        it was hoped that previous difficulties in partnership working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) could be facilitated as part of the integration agenda and was an issue that would benefit from close monitoring

·        the essential role of General Practitioners (GPs) in the establishment of integrated services was highlighted together with concerns over appointment waiting times and how those issues could be dealt with through the integrated framework – the issue was being managed through a number of forums including local leadership teams led by GPs.  With regard to waiting times it was noted that the matter had been raised previously with BCUHB and could be highlighted again as a barrier to integration.

RESOLVED that Cabinet agrees that the draft Statement of Intent document (as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report) be submitted to Welsh Government as an initial regional response to the Welsh Government document “A Framework for Delivering Integrated Health and Social Care” (July 2013).