Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation on the establishment of the Integrated Care Organisation (ICO),

The Committee received the Integrated Care Organisation (ICO) presentation on improving care for local people through integrated hospital and community care, presented by Rob Larkman (Chief Executive – Whittington Hospital). 

The project incorporated transforming community services to the new Whittington Health integrated care organisation (at the Whittington Hospital).

Members of the Committee supported the initiative and recognised that it would save money and provide better services to and communication with patients.

In response to Committee Members urging health colleagues to ensure a better joining up of services it was noted that there was a history of good joined-up working in social and health care between the NHS, Islington and Haringey.  GPs and local authority services would be at the heart of the ICO and there was some flexibility in the way each borough provided services.

Concerns were raised that residents in the east of the borough could be disadvantaged due to the location of the Whittington Hospital in the west of the borough.  In response it was noted that the ICO service would enable strengthened community based services including more work with North Middlesex Hospital, GPs and the establishment of new care pathways between hospitals and community settings..

Haringey’s Health and Well-Being Board would have a role in strategic commissioning. At this point GPs were being consulted as providers but eventually GPs will be expected to attend the Health and Well-Being Board meetings.  NHS Officers recognised that GP practices had different needs and the ICO project would work with practices individually. 

In response to concerns raised about the reduction in Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) it was noted that PALS services within an acute trust would continue in much the same way.  The PALS resources within the PCT would be combined into a new sector wide service.

In response to questioning it was noted that the ICO would still offer patient choice on where they received care.

The Committee asked for more detail on how the “virtual wards” worked and noted that this was a pro-active approach to reviewing cases with the most complex needs in order to commission care in the home and prevent admission to hospital.

The Committee raised the issue of using IT systems to share information between services. It was noted that some services used different systems and that if it was not possible for services to share the same IT system then a web-based system could be an option.

The Committee requested a report in March/April 2011 updating on the ICO project. 

The Committee noted that further to its visit to the Laurels Health Centre in November 2010 an action plan was in place to deal with the issues highlighted.  The Committee thanked NHS Staff and it was suggested that a further visit to the facility took place in the New Year.

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.

The meeting ended at 12:50 hrs.