To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Bryant.

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 3 September 2026.

The minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Board held on 3 September 2026 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive an update on the Torbay System Winter Plan from NHS Devon ICB, Health Partners and Director of Public Health.

The Sub-Board received a presentation from James Wenman, Deputy Director Commissioning NHS Devon and Samuel Wadham-Sharpe, Chief Operating Officer, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust together with a presentation from Julia Chisnell, Consultant in Public Health.  The presentations outlined the Torbay System Winter Plan 2026/27, winter readiness arrangements, vaccination programmes and measures to build year-round resilience to adverse weather and infectious diseases.

Members were advised that winter planning had commenced in July and was focused on supporting residents to remain well, receive care in the right place first time and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions wherever possible.  The Plan included a strong emphasis on improving patient flow, expanding alternatives to hospital admission, reducing corridor care and strengthening discharge planning. Officers advised that approximately 62% of unscheduled care demand reviewed could potentially have been met through alternative services rather than attendance at the Emergency Department.

Members were informed that a new urgent and unscheduled care model would commence on 15 October 2026, including an Unscheduled Care Village and enhanced specialist support pathways designed to enable assessment and treatment without requiring admission to hospital.  Virtual wards and urgent community response services were also being expanded to support people to remain safely at home.

Members asked the following questions:

·       What information was available regarding delayed discharges and how was discharge performance being monitored?

·       Was there sufficient staffing capacity to support early discharge planning?

·       How were people experiencing mental health crises accommodated whilst waiting for assessment and treatment?

·       What measures were used to monitor patient harm resulting from delays within the system?

·       What were the principal causes of delays and pressures within the emergency care pathway?

·       Could additional performance information and pathway data be provided to help Members understand the baseline position and monitor progress over winter?

·       Was there a risk of ambulance queues during winter and what progress had been made in reducing handover delays?

·       What impact might the emerging Covid-19 variants have on winter pressures?

·       What assurances could be provided regarding patient safety and dignity where corridor care continued to be used?

·       What additional support was available for unpaid carers given winter pressures?

·       Was there sufficient resilience across community services and primary care to manage anticipated pressures?

·       Could further information be provided on developments relating to same-day clinical access, additional primary care capacity and Pharmacy First services?

·       How would vaccination and winter wellbeing communications be delivered to residents?

·       Were housebound residents able to access vaccinations?

·       How would outreach vaccination programmes target communities with lower uptake rates?

·       How were carers and voluntary sector organisations being engaged to support vaccine uptake?

·       What further preventative measures were being promoted to reduce the spread of infection during winter?

The following responses were provided:

·       Discharge performance was monitored daily using a range of operational measures.  Work was underway to improve the accuracy of discharge-ready data and strengthen pathway tracking.

·       Officers were satisfied that staffing levels were sufficient to support earlier discharge planning, although consistent application of processes was equally important.

·       Dedicated spaces had been created within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

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.