To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Committee.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Bryant and Pat Harris, Healthwatch.

It was reported that, in accordance with the wishes of the Liberal Democrat Group, the membership of the Sub-Board had been amended to include Councillor Harvey in place of Councillor Long.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board held on 23 February 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Board held on 23 February 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To note the Terms of Reference and Membership of the Sub-Board as approved at the Annual Council meeting on 25 May 2023.

Members noted the Terms of Reference and Membership of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board.  New Members of the Sub Board were welcomed and existing Members thanked for their ongoing contribution.

To approve the work programme for the Board for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year.

Members were informed that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board Work Programme for the municipal year 2023/24 had been devised with input from Overview and Scrutiny Members.  The work programme was designed to help shape how the Overview and Scrutiny meetings would operate and the work programme would remain fluid to accommodate topics that may require scrutinising throughout the year.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         That the Initial Adult Health and Social Care Work Programme for 2023/2024 as presented is approved.

2.         The work programme will be kept under regular review by the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator and the Chairman of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board and the Scrutiny Officer.

3.         The item on the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board on Homeless Support and Providers is expanded to ‘Homeless and Insecure Housing Support and Providers – to consider a review on homeless and insecure housing support and providers’ and moved to 14 September 2023 meeting of the Sub-Board.

To review the Quality Account for 2022/24 and provide feedback to Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

Additional key lines of enquiry:

·         How is the process for managing mental capacity working across all areas with Torbay Hospital;

·         How is the change of mental health medication being monitored and information transferred to GP surgeries?

·         How quickly are the SARS reports and care packages being done for adult social care when people are being discharged into the community? 

·         Is there a guided timeframe and what are the statistics?

(Note: Liz Davenport, Chief Executive Officer and Deborah Kelly, Chief Nurse, both of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust will present this item).

Ms Shelly Machin, System Care Group Director and Ms Nicola McMinn, Deputy Chief Nurse for the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, presented the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Quality Account 2022/23.  A Quality Account sets out the quality of services and improvements offered by an NHS healthcare provider.

Members were informed that the Quality Account for 2022/23 reflected on the strategic changes taking place to address systemic issues and challenges that impacted the quality and safety of care.  In addition, the Quality Account shared the improvements being made against the clinical improvement priorities agreed and against quality goals relating to sepsis; deteriorating patient; falls; nutrition and hydration and experience of patients upon discharge.  It was recognised that the impact of Covid on waiting times had been significant and reducing delays were also a focus for the year ahead.

Ms Machin and Ms McMinn responded to the following questions:

·         How is the process for managing mental capacity working across all areas within the Hospital?

·         How quickly are the SARS reports and care packages being done for adult social care when people are being discharged into the community? 

·         Is there a guided timeframe and what are the statistics?

·         What are the key measures in place to reduce emergency care waiting times and delays in ambulance patient handover?

·         Is there data to show the amount of days when Torbay Hospital Emergency Department is full to capacity and how do these figures compare against its peer group? ?

·         Does Torbay Hospital Emergency Department have more or less reserve capacity than its peer group?

·         Does an elderly population contribute to longer hospital stays which affect benchmarking particularly over the winter months where infection and respiratory conditions may be more prevalent?

·         Is the acute unit always fully staffed?

·         Is there a delay in discharge time for patients with mobility issues?

·         How will the Nightingale Hospital be staffed when it re-opens?

·         Where can information and statistics be found in relation to social discharge from Torbay Hospital?

·         Is reducing waiting times to 65 weeks for planned care realistically achievable?

·         In relation to stroke care, time spent on stroke wards has fallen from 90.2% in 2019/20 to 57.5% in 2022/23 – what is the reason for this?

·         How many agency staff in the clinical row of nursing are currently employed by the Trust within Torbay?

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         Members noted the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Quality Account 2022/23 report.

2.        A representative from the Devon Partnership Trust and the Integrated Care Board, Social Services team to be invited to attend the meeting of the Sub-Board on the 12 October 2023 to address how the change of mental health medication is being monitored and information being transferred to GP surgeries.

3.        Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to share their report detailing performance data and measures implemented to reduce waiting times in the Emergency Department and in respect of ambulance handover delays for patients awaiting emergency care.

4.        Torbay and South Devon NHS  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

To receive an update on the implementation of the actions of the Sub-Board and consider any further actions required (as set out in the submitted action tracker).

The Sub-Board noted the submitted action tracker.  The Clerk provided the following updates:

·                     Update on Minute 25 -  a written response and proposed member briefing in relation to the Care Quality Commission Regulation of local authority functions relating to adult social care would be provided once full details were available and the outcome of enquiries were known as this work was still in progress.