Agenda and Papers for Public Board Meeting June 2013

Unconfirmed
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Ref. Item Action
that the Council can offer.
- The Chair of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) had not been aware
of the issue and advised that approval through HOSC will be required. Legal advice has
confirmed this.
- Diane Reeves, CEO of the CCG has been clear that the 2013/14 funding will not be
provided beyond that period. The Commissioners do not accept that this is
decommissioning of services and they expect 100% delivery until 31 March 2014, which
will be a real challenge given that patients will need transition.
- A difficult meeting took place with the GP commissioners, at which a troubling lack of
understanding about the service was apparent. There was no comprehension that the
mental health needs of 1,500 children and young people will need to be met elsewhere
and there was a clear sense that concerns are not being listened to about the severity
of the risks. Informed decisions about clinical services cannot be made on this basis.
- A more positive meeting took place with a group of GPs with an interest in mental
health, who had no previous awareness of the issue. They understood the probable
impact on children and young people and resolved to write a report to the CCG.
A point has now been reached when the Board must decide how to move forward in balancing
the need to maintain strong relationships with the Trust’s partners with the need to fulfil the
Trust’s role as an advocate for children and young people.
Two avenues remain open:
- Sarah-Jane Marsh (SJM), Chief Executive will return to work in June and will be able to
take a fresh perspective to discussions with the three GP Chairs of the CCG.
- A risk summit involving the Local Area Team could be called. This would be a significant
step.
To support this, the Community CAMHS staff will work on case studies to demonstrate the
impact the loss of services will have on children and young people. This will include an impact
on tier 4 services, as more children and young people will reach crisis point and require
inpatient care.
The Board discussed the following points:
• The Council’s position is based on limited knowledge gained through the Health and
Wellbeing Board, which has no provider representation.
• The focus by the CCGs has been financial – this must be redressed.
• When considering the impact on children and young people in the context of numbers,
it is noteworthy that the number of breaches of the 4-hour ED target, which is closely
scrutinised by commissioners, is tiny compared to the numbers that will be affected by
these cuts.
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