Agenda item

The Board received a report which provided an update on a new strategic planning approach being taken by NHS England and partners to ensure a whole system focus across health and social care. The new STPs will be produced in partnership with providers of health and care services, Councils and CCGs. The report was introduced by the Chief Officer CCG and was included in the agenda pack at pages 57-59. A presentation on the North central London STP was also included in the agenda pack at pages 61-70. 

Along with Barnet, Camden, Enfield and Islington, Haringey was working as part of the North Central London (NCL) STP footprint area. NCL has established a Transformational Board and Programme Management Office to oversee the production of the NCL STP, which was scheduled to be submitted at the end of June. The Board noted that the plan would look at how NCL could be financially sustainable over a five year period, how they could improve the health and wellbeing of residents and how they could improve the quality of services delivered over that five year period.

The Board was advised that the Chief Executive of Camden was pulling together the views of Councils across the five boroughs, whilst the Chief Officer of Camden CCG was the CCGs representative and the David Sloman who was the Chief Executive of the Royal Free Hospital was leading on the provider side. Meetings were taking place on a monthly basis with all representatives of health and social care from the five boroughs, with smaller groups meeting more frequently including the Director of Children’s Services who was LBH’s representative. The Chief Officer advised that current estimates suggested that a do nothing option would result in a funding shortfall of around £600m by 2020. The Chief Officer further advised that prior to submission of the STP the next steps were, an engagement exercise and the development of a communications plan. The Chief Officer commented that she would be speaking to individuals outside of the meeting for their inputs. (Action: Sarah Price).

The Lay Member CCG commented that there was a limit to the amount of  consultation that can be undertaken on this project due to need to access transformation funding given the budgetary pressures involved and suggested that the only way to achieve the savings required was to work together collectively. The Lay Member CCG also drew the Board’s attention to the Health Service Journal which contained Simon Stevens categorically backing David Sloman and highlighting that individual organisations would not be allowed to veto the STP. The article also stated that some form of consolidation across CCGs would be required. The Leader agreed with the points raised and commented that the Haringey and Islington Wellbeing Partnership was a very useful exercise in terms of laying the ground work for the STP and provided a base from which projects could be scaled up.

The Chair Healthwatch Haringey advocated that a broad consultation should be undertaken with the public around what their priorities were in the face of declining resources and increased need and raised concerns with a submission deadline of the end of June in light of the need to engage.  The Lay Member CCG clarified that any consultation had to be undertaken carefully and within clearly defined parameters  because there wasn’t really a choice involved; as people may resent  being consulted on something that was already a given and being driven by a top-down approach.

The Chief Officer Haringey CCG advised that the version of the plan at the end of June wouldn’t necessarily be absolutely final and that there were rumours that a further submission would be required in October. In this scenario it was likely that the engagement process would primarily be undertaken in the Autumn.

RESOLVED:

I). To note progress made to date with regard to the NCL STP.

II). To note the finalised NCL case for change will be brought to the Health and Wellbeing Board for endorsement.