Issue details

To consider a report of the Deputy Director/Joint Associate Director Integrated Strategic Commissioning, Health and Adult Social Care Directorate,  seeking a revision to the existing Section 75 Partnership Agreement between Southampton City Council and NHS Southampton (which is for a pooled fund for the joint commissioning of community equipment services) enabling Southampton City Council to take on the lead commissioner role and the services to be re-commissioned against a new service specification.

The benefit of a Section 75 Partnership Agreement for jointly commissioning community equipment services is that it enables a joined up approach to meeting both health and social care needs to support people to achieve rehabilitation and independence at home and offers efficiency gains through economies of scale and increased purchasing power, whilst meeting the joint priorities and objectives of the Council and the NHS.

The reason for revising the agreement so that the City Council takes on the role of lead commissioner is that it will enable a local commissioning focus to be maintained during a period of substantial change in the NHS. 

The reason for revising the scope and specification for the service and testing the market is to:

• Set clear requirements for response times which should help decrease the frequently long delays which impede patients discharge from hospital and inhibit their safety and confidence in coping at home; and
• Achieve further economies of scale through integrating other equipment budgets and functions which currently sit outside the service (e.g. technician service, EDAS, telecare, access for special schools).