Minutes of the meeting held on 18th April 2012 Shrewsbury
Present:
Alex Winterbone Suffolk
Krys Jarvis Shropshire
Alan Moore Manchester
Elaine Coope Airedale
Samantha Sterling Leeds
Angela Cannon Stoke on Trent
Peter Gage Essex
Barbara Hatton Wigan
Hazel Derbyshire Preston
Henry Lumley Bristol
Sarah Sherwood Bedfordshire
Julia Cunningham Whizz Kidz
Janine Eagle Manchester
Carol Bartley Salford
Apologies
Julia Mannering Gloucester
Claire Watt Horsham
Cathy Ryan West Pennine
Caroline Desjardins Leicester
Kath Griffiths Crewe
Jan Smith Newcastle
Brian Smith Northern
Sue Cobby East Sussex
Yvonne Baron Chorley, South Ribble & West Lancs
Jane Thurlow York
Rory Davies Preston
Kirsty Simpson Devon
Julie Croysdale Leicester
Introductions
Minutes of the meeting on 24th January 2012 were agreed
Matters Arising
Web Site:
Ian had sent a breakdown of year’s activity (attached)
Because of Ian’s other hat he has discovered that the old NHS Direct service will be offered through NHS Choices. There is nothing on NHS Choices about wheelchair services so the call handlers will have no link. We need to do something about that or there will never be a link. Services may need to register for AQP to show up.
The NHS Choices website was checked and there is a contact NHS Choices option there so Sarah will ask Ian to contact them and ask them to put a link to our website.
Competencies
Claire was unable to come but Elaine fed back, Claire has started the Therapist ones, Elaine took a couple of formats to the Yorkshire Forum and they liked one better so the group have decided to stick with that.
Claire is doing Therapist
Elaine is doing Admin
Brian is doing RE
.
The Specifications that went out for AQP didn’t even state that Therapists needed to be registered with HPC so this work will be quite important to ensure standards are maintained. Elaine will ring Alex Kamadu and make sure that something gets in even it is only the old ones which need updating along with some measurements.
If anyone is interested in helping please contact Claire
Terms of Reference: These were amended and sent round after our last meeting Went through each point individually.
Everyone present was happy with the amendments AW to put a date on it and then e mail to Ian to put on the website.
Discussion included:
The group again discussed an application to join the Forum from someone who is not running a wheelchair service but has an interest.
In the new world of AQP there may be several people offering services under AQP who then would represent their area.
Discussed AQP versus tendered out services agreed that they are very different animals and tendered out services are still providing an NHS Service and should be included.
Henry pointed out a parallel with NAEP as a representative body they embraced anyone and everyone, in doing so their meetings have become harder to organise
We also have a connection with PMG which represents suppliers etc
Could we utilise Lesley Cave and her team to make contact with areas where we don’t have representation and to publicise the Forum with SHA’s but we may need to limit the number of people round the table. SHA’s might benefit from knowing the names of people who are currently on the Forum then they know who to contact. Krys to contact Lesley Cave
Agreed that we will need to keep revisiting the TOR as life moves on, at the moment there are too many unanswered questions to make any hard and fast decisions.
Is there scope for working with PMG to develop a third sector network?
Independent Sector providers are likely to be members of BHTA. They could be co-opted but they are not providers of NHS services yet. Agreed to contact BHTA and see what they think.
Agreed to leave the TOR on the agenda and revisit at each meeting so adjustments can be made as life moves on. Any bright ideas people have once they have had a chance to mull it over then commit it to e mail while you think about it.
Jackie Twomey – Chair Elect – is no longer responsible for wheelchair services so no longer qualifies for membership of this group. This means we need a chair elect. AW to send out a nomination form with the minutes and it is AGM at the next meeting anyway so an election will be held then.
Limbloss group: Jackie was the Forum rep: Henry, Krys, Alex, Sarah all prepared to go occasionally so perhaps we can share it.
Any Qualified Provider
The group discussed the Birmingham Event held a couple of weeks ago:
· Too many questions and not enough answers
· Who takes responsibility for the outcome the assessor or the provider?
· What about refurbishment do we give the patient the choice and if we do who would choose a reconditioned chair. Henry has agreed with commissioners in his area that the tariff will reflect a proportion of recycled equipment.
· What happens with the current fleet and who will maintain it.
· Commissioners are required to communicate with users and carers and if the feedback is good they can continue with the current service and need not use AQP.
· Tariffs are being agreed locally but will be shared so it is hoped that a national tariff will emerge as time goes on.
· A couple of services are already involved with AQP: West Midlands Region (children only), Bedfordshire
Child in a Chair in a Day
Krys ran through a presentation that was given at PMG by the Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Presentation embedded:
It does not just focus on children – they need to change the title
The institute want to gather good practice information on a website
Query about putting a link to it from our website.
Specialist Commissioning
This process has started, there was an old definition set which covered complex disability.
Henry was invited to sit on the steering group for complex disabilities; the group is made up of consultants, a Rehabilitation Engineer, a commissioner, Henry and some others. This group met for the first time in early April to complete a scoping document for each of the specialist areas. The group Henry is involved in covers prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs and seating, environmental controls and communication aids.
To qualify for specialist commissioning a service must meet 4 criteria
· Complexity
· Small number of providers
· Specialist knowledge to deliver
· Small number of patients
For wheelchair services the only thing that has gone forward for specialist commissioning is custom seating. Not clear yet what the pathway will be.
The steering group worked through a checklist and developed the scoping document. Next stage is a meeting on the 9th May. At some stage they are to produce a detailed specification which will need to go through a parliamentary committee and will then be passed to the specialist commissioning board taking it away from GP commissioning groups.
Point made that though most services are doing there own special seating they are usually done by a small number of contractors which we bring in.
PMG’s view is that it should be under specialist commissioning so that it is taken out of AQP.
Concern expressed by members around geographical issues and long distances that may need to be travelled to reach regional centres.
Environmental Controls will also be within specialist commissioning.
Krys asked those services who had not previously completed the brief data form re specialist provision i.e. bespoke seating, special controls etc. to complete asap and return to Krys, who is collating this information for Linda Marks to present to this group to assist in their discussions.
HPC Portfolios
Discussion about what this involves:
1500 word overview of yourself
2000 word CPD document
Everything you claim has to be evidenced.
HPC give you a template, there are 2 templates one for managers and another for therapists on the front line.
You get until 31st October to submit the portfolio.
2% of Therapists get called every 2 years.
The template is available on the HPC website.
ResMag update – Brian not at this meeting and Alan was not at the last Resmag meeting.
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Weight of powered wheelchairs:
There have been some recent changes to the law. Sam will circulate some recent documents she has had,
Any Other Business
Letter from Simon Fielden regarding wheelchair stability project, there has been an extension of the timeline to the project. The On line survey is via Survey Monkey; please take the time to complete it Follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wheelSAS2012
Forum’s relationship with PMG:
Discussion:
· PMG is about clinical matters whereas this Forum is about the management of the service and driving services forward, setting standards.
· Are we stronger together than apart?
· Agreed to talk to PMG about maybe joining forces for next years training event and having some managerial content under our banner.
· To watch the PMG political committee for now we have a couple of representatives who will keep us posted.
.Date of next meeting:
3rd July 2012 Leeds
9th October Cheltenham
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