Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset Advisory Group
Thursday 24th April 2014
The Fry Club, Somerdale, Keynsham
Present
Diana Hall Hall, Volunteer Health & Wellbeing Partnership Board Healthwatch Rep
Roger Tippings, Volunteer, Clinical Commissioning Group Healthwatch Quality Rep
Mark Goodman, Connecting Capacity Manager
Tracey Wilmot, Bath and North Somerset, Health Advocate
Pat Foster, The Care Forum, General Manager, Healthwatch
June Aland, The Care Forum, Note taker
Apologies
Ann Harding, Volunteer, Enter and View
George Baylis, SEAP (Support, Empower, Advocate and Promote)
Public Submission
There was none.
Notes from the last meeting
E&V: Roger said that the matron of Coombe Ward, which is a ‘dementia friendly’ ward at the RUH, would welcome a visit. Hw will contact her and the CQC when an E&V date is set. There will be an E&V planning meeting at the Central Library in Bath next Tuesday which Ann and Roger will be attending.
Equality Delivery System (RUH): The group agreed to look at the areas of EDS to concentrate on at the next meeting. Pat will put it on the agenda.
Action: Pat
RUH Maternity Services: Discouragement from breastfeeding; Diana will take this to the next PEG group.
Action: Diana
Safe Compassionate Care: Pat will audio record this model for frail older people from Cornwall and the Scilly Isles for Roger.
Action: Pat
The CQC will be visiting mental health services in B&NES in June.
‘Recovery from Eating Disorders’ mental health event: Tracy reported that condition, prognosis, referral, treatment options etc. had been discussed. It was a fascinating meeting. There are only 6 beds for children with mental health problems and C&YP and only those willing to acknowledge their problems are helped. Those with anorexia or bulimia are helped but not binge eaters.
There are 10 beds for adults in B&NES/Somerset/Bristol/S Gloucestershire and children are sent to these if C&YP beds are not available. The group want to know the waiting time for C&YP, how long C&YP might stay in adult beds and if all beds are full, where do they go. Pat will ask Juliet Winter how many beds etc. in NBT.
Action: Pat
Pat added that the Hw C&YP event in the autumn will look at obesity and body image. The C&YP’s ideas on what is healthy eating will be collected.
Secondary Care Doctors; interview panel: Diana said that her participation was a one off for the CCG as public engagement was part of the interview process. Pat commented that Susana Power wants to meet to discuss what the Hw role is and Pat will invite her to the May meeting.
Action: Pat
Safeguarding within the LA: Lesley Hutchinson cannot come to Hw meetings but she will hold a meeting on Monday 16th June at 10.30 am at St. Martin’s Hospital. Diana would like to go to this too.
Sirona Board Director, Dusty Walker: Pat will invite her to the Hw meetings.
Action: Pat
Monitoring: The quarterly monitoring will take place on Tuesday 29th April and Pat said that the ‘70% through social media’ aspect needs to be discussed with the Hw commissioners as there are not many issues coming through in this way. Face to face engagement has a much better result.
Action: Pat
Work Plan
Carers: Diana said that there are 3,000 carers on the books but it is believed that there are 17,000 out there. APEX is about social injustice and finding out about it. Roger suggested that he take a copy for Dawn Lloyd to look at and that Jan Perry’s report should be sent to the Health and Wellbeing board. Pat will send it to them, the CCG Quality group and Lesley Hutchinson at the LA. It will also go on the website.
Action: Pat
Urgent Care: Simon Douglas is now the person to contact at the CCG.
Public and patient transport and rural area needs: Claire Littlejohn went to a village agents meeting on 3rd April and will draw up a report.
Action: Claire
Arriva was asked to attend at Hw Wiltshire and Pat has asked for a report which she will bring to a future meeting.
Action: Pat
Personal Health Budgets: Hw has been talking to Bernie Horne.
The contents of the Long term conditions outcomes box will be moved to the Personalisation section.
Action: Pat
Older people, end of life and dementia: There will be an enquiry panel at Hw England into unsafe discharge. There is often a long wait for medication in the discharge lounge etc. There is anecdotal evidence but actual evidence is needed. Pat suggested that at the E&V planning meeting Roger could ask if the E&V team feel that follow up phone calls could be undertaken.
Action: Roger
Re commission Community Health Services: The outcome will read: Speak to Dusty Walker at SIRONA.
Quality Accounts: There was a QA lead reps meeting on 11th April to discuss how to tackle those from the RUH and Royal Min. Hw South Glos will lead on the SWAFT QAs, in which 13 Hws are involved. AWP has just sent their QAs and 3 Hws will come together, possibly on 9th May, to form their comments. There is a 1,000 word limit for replies. The main question to consider is: - are the QAs readable by the general public. Reps who have a clinical knowledge and understanding may wish to comment on that aspect but it is not Hw’s primary objective and there may not be enough word capacity to include those comments.
Roger asked if they are lengthy documents. Pat replied that they are and she has asked for them in a suitable accessible format for him. It was also suggested and accepted that there should be another volunteer to work with Roger on these.
Equality Delivery System: It was agreed that this will be looked at in the next meeting. Pat will put it on the agenda.
Action: Pat
Care Quality Commission: It was agreed that Kate Strong should be invited to the next meeting to give the quarter four figures.
Action: Pat
Children and Young People Priorities.
Child Poverty: There is a need to look at the Young People’s plan in more depth e.g. is mental health in the plan?
Obesity and body image: Pat will bring the report from the C&YP’s event held in February to the next meeting.
Action: Pat
Physical impairments: Janet Dabbs is the Hw rep for safeguarding.
Transition to adults – mental health: Pat will ask about the number of children’s mental health beds in NBT.
Action: Pat
National Children’s Bureau Report: When is the next meeting of the Local Youth Board, June? Pat will ask Mary Kierney Knowles.
Action: Pat
Summary bullet point 4 (stress on a daily basis due to...... ) the group asked if this is in the work plan.
Bullet point 6: AWP are to be asked if there is a mother and baby unit for mothers with mental health problems.
Action: Pat
The group also asked if Hw can attend the Local Youth Board. Pat will ask about this.
Action: Pat
Follow the implementation of the Better Care Fund through the Health and Wellbeing Board: The final plans will be submitted to NHS England on 4th June.
The RUH does not commission maternity services at the moment, it is Swindon but this will change in the summer.
Feedback
Diana reported that she had been invited to a Patient and Carer Patient Experience Group at the RUH on 8th April. The topics were Privacy and dignity and PALS and Complaints. There was also be an evening visit. A report has been submitted to Hw. There lots of leaflets but no site map and PALS is neither visible nor signed well enough.
Roger had been to a PALS complaints workshop at the RUH yesterday to revamp the PALS procedure to make it more user friendly. The initial response is important and should be done face to face. Things discussed were: -
- Location of PALS
- Advertising widely enough
- PALS should be working at weekends but there is a cost issue.
There will be a follow up. PALS have been charged by the CQC to change their policy. There are 20 to 25 complaints per month. There is a possibility of having volunteers to answer the phones but they will need training.
Diana said that the Neurological Alliance for B&NES will become a community group. They will need a committee and bank accounts to make the Alliance formal. Neurology in Bath is small and the Alliance is trying to get it up the CCG’s agenda.
Mark said that Connecting Capacity may be able to find some help to set up the governance ‘stuff’ if required.
The Health and Wellbeing Board held a ‘closed’ session. They would like it to be less formal for the public. They are thinking about having a public session and circulating a summary of meetings etc.
Roger said that there had been a collaborative mental health meeting with AWP and Consultants etc. The Justice Inspector was also there. Most of the meeting was taken up with RUH procedures and its response to the report. The mental capacity act is changing and now will be for anyone who is incapacitated at any time. It will need 1 FTE extra psychiatrist. Pat went to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society to do awareness raising of Hw. There is no local branch in B&NES.
CQC press release: circulated
AWP Callington Road report: circulated
Tracy said that she and George had met Sue Griffin of the RUH who is recruiting another full timer for the Patient Experience team. Training on complaints will be done with the ward manager and consultants. There will be more meetings at the start of the resolution process to remedy things quicker. PALS is understaffed but Sue will move change forward.
Any other business
Roger said that over the next 6 months the RNIB will be working on the possibility of having Eye Care Liaison Officers. There are only a few up and down the country. Bristol has one but the RUH does not. Some are joint funded by the RNIB and the relevant Trust. Roger asked Diana to raise at the Health and Wellbeing Board if the issue of an ECLO at the RUH has ever been raised or discussed. Patients don’t get help to e.g. put in eye drops. Diana will write to the RUH PEG to take it to the board.
Action: Diana
Dates of future meetings
Tuesday 20th May from 10 am to 12 noon at Ubley Parish Hall, The Street, Ubley, BS40 6PW.NB: Satnav may try to take you down Frog Lane
Thursday 26th June from 10 am to 12 noon at the Conygre Hall, Timsbury
Thursday 24th July from 10 am to 12 noon at the Baptist Chapel, Manvers Street, Bath
Tuesday 2nd September from 10 am to 12 noon Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton
Thursday 2nd October from 10 am to 12 noon
Tuesday 11th November from 10 am to 12 noon
Tuesday 9th December from 10 am to 12 noon
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