The Minister for Local Government, Kris Hopkins MP, joined health and social care partners in Havering this week to see first-hand how services are working together to reduce hospital admissions.
During the visit to the Emergency Department in Queen’s Hospital, Romford, the Minister learnt how services provided by Havering Council, the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), Havering Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust are cutting through organisational barriers, integrating services and treating people at home.
Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, Havering Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said: “With less money to spend and a growing ageing population, it’s vitally important that we make the best use of our services.
“Moving care from hospital into people’s homes not only helps relieve the pressure on our local hospital, it also allows people to remain independent for longer and get better in the comfort of their own homes, something we’d all want for our families and ourselves given the choice.”
The Joint Assessment and Discharge Team – a joint local authority and NHS service - and the Community Treatment Team – provided by NELFT and funded by Havering CCG and Havering Council – are reducing hospital visits by bringing together doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to increase the number of patients returning home.
In Havering the Community Treatment Team has treated some 5,590 patients in the past year alone. Only 557 would have been cared for with the previous bed based system – a tenfold increase.
The Minister was in Havering to learn how the Council and partners intends to use the Better Care Fund - a pooled budget - to improve the health of London’s oldest population. From April 2015 £19m of existing funding will be jointly invested by the council and the local NHS to help improve services and improve the wellbeing of local people.
Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins said: “The £5.3 billion Better Care Fund coming into force in April is all about supporting people to live independently at home for longer. I was really pleased to see for myself how the programme will be used in Havering to support local people in the community.
“Working together local services can save £900,000 for the taxpayer next year and reduce emergency admissions to hospitals by 2.5 per cent. But even more importantly they can help give local people the dignity and respect they deserve in old age.”
The Minister also learnt how partners are using new technology to work more efficiently. Havering CCG explained how a system known as Integrated Care Management Plus identifies patients at risk of hospital admission and uses video conferencing to bring together care and support professionals in more efficient ways.
It is anticipated that the Integrated Care Management Plus model will free up 38 hours of community matron, nursing and social work time each month helping to focus on direct patient care rather than meeting time.
During the visit the Minister toured the Emergency Department and met members of Havering’s Health and Wellbeing Board. The Board is a Council Committee which includes the local NHS and other local health organisations to make the best use of resources and improve a range of care and support services.
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