Agenda item

The Board received an update on the Better Care Fund (BCF), including the final outturn for 2025/26 and the proposed Better Care Fund Plan for 2026/27.

Members sought clarification on the scale of community support provided to residents and the extent to which Better Care Fund investment contributed to preventing hospital admissions. Officers advised that the Better Care Fund formed one element of a wider health and social care funding package and noted that approximately 4,000 residents were in receipt of care packages across a range of settings, with the level of support varying according to individual need.

The Board discussed the impact of winter pressures on performance during 2025/26. It was noted that increased demand had been driven by seasonal illness, workforce pressures and increasingly complex cases, resulting in delays to hospital discharge. NHS partners advised that winter pressures had emerged earlier than anticipated during the previous year and had included an increase in respiratory illness amongst younger residents. It was emphasised that, despite these pressures, strong partnership working between health and social care organisations had supported discharge planning and continued to promote innovative approaches to preventing avoidable hospital admissions.

Members also discussed the increasing impact of extreme weather on health services and questioned whether planning arrangements adequately reflected the challenges presented by periods of prolonged hot weather. NHS representatives advised that heatwave planning formed part of existing emergency planning arrangements, with additional measures implemented during periods of severe weather. It was acknowledged, however, that rising temperatures were likely to require greater emphasis within future operational planning. Council officers confirmed that the Council had also activated its emergency management arrangements during the recent heatwave, including measures to support rough sleepers, vulnerable residents, supported housing providers and wider community communications to help residents remain safe.

The Board noted that lessons learned from recent periods of extreme weather would inform future planning across the partnership.

In response to questions regarding vaccination planning, it was confirmed that partners were already preparing for the forthcoming seasonal vaccination programme. It was noted that earlier planning would support continued delivery of flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes, particularly for housebound residents, whilst partners would continue to review service delivery arrangements across primary care.

Members discussed the future direction of the Better Care Fund in light of the Government’s neighbourhood health agenda and the anticipated integration of health and care services. Officers advised that the 2026/27 Better Care Fund represented a transitional, one-year plan which largely maintained existing service provision whilst providing the opportunity to begin reshaping services ahead of future neighbourhood arrangements. It was noted that the modest funding uplift largely met inflationary pressures, although additional investment had enabled increased social work capacity within the Multi-Agency Care Coordination Team to support neighbourhood working.

The Board also discussed the importance of ensuring that residents and carers continued to play a central role in shaping future services. Officers highlighted a range of existing co-production arrangements across the partnership and confirmed that further work would be undertaken during the transitional year to strengthen resident involvement in the development of neighbourhood-based services and future Better Care Fund arrangements.

As the meeting was inquorate, Members noted that the Better Care Fund Plan had been submitted to NHS England in draft to meet the national deadline. It was explained that, in accordance with the Council’s urgency procedures, the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Corporate Director for Adults, Housing and Health would be requested to formally approve the final submission on behalf of the Board, taking account of the discussion at the meeting.

RESOLVED

The Board:

1. Noted the 2025/26 Better Care Fund performance and year-end position.

2. Noted the proposed 2026/27 Better Care Fund Plan.

3. Agreed that, due to the meeting being inquorate, the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Corporate Director for Adults, Housing and Health exercise the Council’s urgency procedures to approve the final Better Care Fund submission on behalf of the Board