Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board which provided an update on how the NHS was planning ahead of winter pressures on urgent care services in Southampton. 

James House, Managing Director, Southampton Place, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board; Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer, University Hospital Southampton (UHS); and Clare Edgar, Executive Director Wellbeing and Housing, Southampton City Council, were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

·  UHS was, when considering key indicators, a high performing hospital.

·  Demand for urgent and primary care had remained significantly high and there was limited scope to redirect additional resources to increase capacity at UHS.

·  The waiting list for elective procedures had significantly increased over the last three years and had grown since the Panel considered the issue in February 2023.

·  ‘Same Day’ Response Pathways were being established so that where local surgeries couldn’t accommodate a request GPs could refer people who needed a same day response directly to the service in order to prevent that patient from presenting at the Accident and Emergency department later on.

·  There was increased use of ‘Virtual Wards’ and ‘Digital Monitoring’ where there were medical grounds that benefited the patient.

·  The ongoing industrial action of health care professionals was not having a direct impact on urgent care as staff were stepping in to cover gaps, however it was having an impact on ongoing primary care and elective surgery.

RESOLVED 

1)  That University Hospital Southampton and the City Council would continue to work together to improve performance with regards to delayed discharge and a progress report would be provided to the Panel in the new year.

2)  That, to enable ongoing oversight, the performance report that was presented at each meeting of the UHS Trust Board would be circulated to the Panel.