Healthwatch Sefton’s Crosby Lakeside event – questions answered by North West Boroughs Healthcare and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Any plans for integration with social care, to avoid duplication of some services?

• Yes as discussed by Trish Bennett at the event we are working closely with SMBC to develop and progress the integration agenda.

What is Mersey Care’s track record in delivering physical community health services?

• Mersey care have been delivering physical health to  mental health service users– now MCT has included the community physical health services there is a real positive opportunity to deliver improved  integrated services across Sefton.

How will you engage the patient’s voice?

• MCT will continue to actively work with health watch / the voluntary sector across Sefton to ensure patient / carer involvement continues to be strengthened and developed.

You spoke about “end of life care” what is the plan to manage this, and who will be involved? Will age be a factor in how it is management i.e. child middle age, seniors?

• End of life care development is a key priority – we will continue to work closely with all sectors – primary / secondary / voluntary and social care to ensure end of life are irrelevant of age at the centre of all decisions. End of life care is provided to all age groups.

Are 3 CCG’s merging (north, South Sefton and Liverpool)?

• Yes the CCGs plan to merge but the merge has been paused , So, this additional time created by a pause will allow the CCGs to concentrate their efforts in two areas. Firstly, in ensuring the CCGs continued focus is on improving financial and health service performance for the distinct populations they serve in line with their individual statutory duties, whilst secondly, developing a more considered and robust business case that clearly demonstrates the benefits of merging to their GP practice members, local residents and other key partners.

The government has a sustainability transformation plan – how do you see this:

1. Improving on integration of services?
2. Impacting on community services ie movement / relocation of services?
3. What plans do you have to achieve efficiencies?

• Mersey Care SSCD is part of the Cheshire and Merseyside STP.  The STP requires local organisations to come together to produce five year plea based sustainability and transformation plans to drive the “five year forward view”.  Bringing together mental and physical health services will underpin and support delivery of the STP key priorities, whilst improving quality of care reducing health inequalities and delivering financial balance.

Which out of hours (night) DN services will LCH continue to provide?

• Out of hours (nigh) DN service, LCH continues to deliver this service via a service level agreement until 31.08.17 form 01.09.17 Mersey Care will provide this service.

There was a pronouncement that all people aged 75 years and over must have a named doctor in each surgery.  Is this in operation and what is its purpose?

• This question relates to our local CCG commissioners – can this be asked of our CCG colleagues to respond to for discussion at the champions meeting.

What support is available to patients discharged from hospital who can be classed as vulnerable through chronic ill health / disability and are living on their own?

• All individuals discharged from hospital are assessed to ensure they are fit for discharge and identification of any ongoing care / support required in the community Mersey Care SSCD are actively working with our acute colleagues / social care and the voluntary sector to enable a collective patient centred approach ensuring individuals ongoing needs are met in the community.

MARY, what worked and how is she?

• MARY is a real life / true example and is doing well!  The approach to Mary’s situation demonstrated by putting Mary at the centre with services wrapped around gave Mary personal control back.

What care packages are put in place for a person having treatment in the south and living in the north or vice versa, who doesn’t  have any family to care for them?

• Care packages are identified following holistic assessment on individuals need and requirements.

As a carer what will happen to the cared for when their parents pass away as we have a lot of carers in their 70 / 80 now?

• Mersey Care are working closely with social care and the voluntary sector to ensure the needs for our local population re met collectively as opposed to the historic silo approach to individual care.

When my wife’s parents passed she was left with no care and could not get any because she was left the house.  She could not get a carer to care for her is this still the case if she needs a full time career.

•  All cases are treated on an individual basis following holistic assessment of an individual’s needs.  The joint working planned for the population of Sefton will support holistic assessment of all individual health and social care needs.

Is the review of urgent care involving possible integration with 111 or is  this already the case with Mersey Care?

• The review of urgent care will review urgent care provision across Sefton this will include working with our external partners.  The UC service does currently work with 111.

One of the many problems of MDT working is the failure of getting and sharing accurate and precise information e.g – safeguarding children and vulnerable adults e.g discharge from acute hospitals to GP and Social Care.  What process will you implement to address these failures?

•  Mersey Care SSCD is working actively with our acute hospitals to share information and work collectively on our admission avoidance agenda and reducing delayed discharges – this I  a pan Mersey approach to improving the whole system.
• We at UC24 are happy for our practices to be part of the joined up approach and for patients to across your services via the practices
• Mersey Care SSCD are working with all internal and external partners and stakeholders to enable a joined up approach to service delivery going forward.