Issue - meetings

To receive an update and presentation from the Coventry and Warwickshire health and care system.

Adrian Stokes spoke to a circulated report and presentation. COVID-19 had created an unprecedented situation, which the Coventry and Warwickshire health and care system had responded to with significant pace.

The response to COVID-19 was being managed in four phases:

·       Phase 1 – Service change (immediate response to COVID-19)

·       Phase 2 – Restoration (6 weeks from May to July)

·       Phase 3 – Recovery (to March 2021)

·       Phase 4 – Reset (2021/22)

The covering report explained the role of the Reset Co-ordination Group (RCG) to oversee the Restoration, Recovery and Reset Programme. It listed the correspondence and guidance from NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI), which had been adopted, alongside the local decisions taken, with fast-track transformation initiatives, resilience measures and the need to suspend some services, whilst delivering other services virtually.

Looking to the future, maintaining the transformation would assist with meeting the short to medium term challenges of restoration and recovery, whilst providing for reset of the local health and care system to be more effective and sustainable.

The presentation included slides on:

•        Context

•        Ongoing backdrop of Covid-19

•        Starting v stopping

•        Productivity paradox

•        Partnership working strengthened

•        Locking in innovation

•        The Health and Care Partnership graphic

•        A flowchart showing the phased approach to restoration, recovery and reset

•        Phase two priorities

•        Essential services

•        Test, track & trace

•        Care homes

•        Mental health

•        Takeaway messages

•        All phases happening simultaneously =

•        complexity

•        Level 4 response running into winter

•        Partnership working – “fleet of foot”

•        Communication is key

Anna Hargrave gave a precis of the circulated report, speaking about the service changes required, key learning points, the ability to respond quickly and the impact of these changes on communities. Currently, a period of evaluation of the quality and equality impacts of the required changes was taking place. This included drawing on the survey by Healthwatch Warwickshire (HWW) and through targeted work with specific groups. This would lead to the next phase of planning to look at service restoration, addressing inequalities, needs assessment and the establishment of a system-wide group to focus on addressing inequalities. It would include discussions with the NHS workforce and undertaking risk assessments for staff deemed at risk. There was a need to understand the impacts of Covid-19 and to lock in changes, whilst being mindful of both quality and equality.

Questions and comments were provided, with responses provided as indicated:

•        Ensuring that the revised provision included traditional face-to-face services, as well as making use of technology. Some patients value the relationship with their GP and/or would be less comfortable discussing certain conditions remotely. This reflected the feedback commissioners had received and there was no target percentage for virtual appointments. This was about offering a choice and maintaining a balance.

•        Noted that there had been 80,000 GP appointments online.

•        Questions about the impact of the pandemic, in terms of waiting lists, demand and capacity.  This was an area for further detailed research,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3