Agenda item

The Chair welcomed speakers to the session and invited Tom Kibasi, Director of IPPR to outline the scope and purpose of the Darzi review into the future of health and social care.

Tom Kibasi outlined the nature of the review, explaining to Members that the review team were looking at what the current system looks like, what progress had been made to date, the setbacks and challenges, and what the likely solutions could be, as well as outlining the future funding options to address the gap in resources, which is larger for social care than it is for health.

Tom advised members that the review was in its analytical stage, that an interim report was due in April, with a final report due in June. He noted that the key questions were what the state of care was currently, what had happened to quality and safety of care, and the equity of provision, what the impact of demographic changes were and how technology could be used to improve provision and services.

David Pearson from Nottinghamshire County Council is one of the ‘independent experts’ advising the Government ahead of the publication of its green paper on care and support reform for older people, and attended the meeting alongside Caroline Abrahams from Age UK (another of the green paper ‘independent experts’, and Julie Das-Thompson from NHS Clinical Commissioners. Alyson Morley, LGA Senior Adviser, noted that the purpose of this item was to bring together three distinct but overlapping agendas that related to the future of health and social care – the IPPR Review, the Green Paper and the future of integration – and to seek members’ views in order to clarify LGA messages on what a joined up and adequately funded health and social care system might look like.

Members made the following comments:

·         None of the members of the Advisory Panel of the Darzi Review had a social care background. It was also noted that there was no representation from an elected member on the panel. Members strongly supported the idea of elected member representation on the Advisory Panel.

·         It was also suggested that citizens and service users needed to be engaged in this debate and Members encouraged the IPPR to find ways of encouraging patients and the public to feed in their views.

·         Julie Das-Thompson of the NHS Clinical Commissioners also noted that they had not been consulted and were not aware of the Review. Tom Kibasi explained that the IPPR was an independent charity with a small budget and so did not have the resources to engage everyone, but he encouraged people to respond to the call for evidence.

·         Members were concerned that it would be difficult, given the timescales and resources available, to give sufficient consideration to all seven questions set out by the Review in respect of health and social care. There were a number of NHS experts on the panel but few who could advise on adult social care and public health. Members wanted to ensure that adult social care was given sufficient recognition within the review.

·         A discussion was had about the lack of reference to the role of public health and prevention in the scope of the Review, and it was felt that the Review needed to consider how to move from a model of health and care which focuses most resources on treating sickness to one which invests in promoting good health throughout life.

·         Housing was discussed, and Members made it clear that appropriate housing had a vital contribution to play in enabling people to live independently. Care staff also need somewhere to live but were being priced out of the market in many areas.

·         The role of the third sector was discussed and Members suggested that the Review considers the role of the third sector in providing support for people who would otherwise rely on statutory health and social care services. Caroline Abrahams from Age UK agreed on this point and noted that while the third sector does a huge amount and would like to do more, it also suffers from a lack of resources.

·         Members spoke about the role of informal carers’ contributions and how they should be considered by the Review, as well as how better to support them in fulfilling this vital role.

Decision

Members noted the update.

Actions

1.    Officers to write to Tom Kibasi summarising members’ comments, suggesting which CWB Member should join the Advisory Panel, and thanking him for his attendance.

2.    Officers to brief LGA Chief Executive, Mark Lloyd, on the Board’s discussion.

3.    Officers to draft the LGA’s submission to the IPPR call for evidence.