Issue - meetings

The Board received an update on the impact of the reconfiguration of the older people’s bed base within North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NWBFT), following the closure of Grange Ward in the Brooker Centre.

It was noted that the model of care was implemented in 2012 for Older People with Dementia and Memory loss which was a high quality community service pathway, designed to support people in their own home for as long as possible.  The objective was to re-design services for people in later life in order to ensure that effective, timely and personalised services were available, to support the growing number of people who would experience memory and cognitive loss and the onset of dementia.

Members were reminded of the proposals regarding the closure of the beds at Grange Ward, as explained in paragraph 3.7 of the report.  The Ward closed in December 2016 and the existing patients within Grange Ward (3 at that time) were moved to other wards within the NWBFT footprint.  It was reported that mitigations were put in place to support the transport needs of families to ensure access for visitors, and patient navigators were instigated to support the families.  Additionally an Admiral Nurse Service and a Care Home Liaison Service was also commissioned, as described in the report.

The Board received the in-patient data for January 2017 to March 2017, and from April 2017 to September 2017.  It was noted that the latest Delayed Transfers of Care lists (as at 18 January 2018) showed that there were no Halton in-patients currently delayed.

Following the update Members requested to know the total number of psychiatrists in Halton and whether support was still available for carers etc, who were having difficulties with travel arrangements; this information would be made available to Members following the meeting as it was not known.

Members reminded Officers that it was agreed previously, at the special meeting held in December 2016 to discuss this matter, that apart from patients, carers and their families being supported with their transport requirements, that the care navigator role would remain in place for the duration of the patient’s intervention to support the multi-disciplinary professionals involved in the patients care including Social Workers; so they queried if this was still in place.  A response would be sought and Members informed.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.