Agenda item

The Board received a presentation by Anthony Fitzgerald outlining the content of the Life Stage Delivery Plans, including priorities for 2022-23.

It was explained that the Life Stage Delivery Plans set out the joint commissioning ambitions for 2022-23 for Starting Well, Living Well and Ageing Well.  Each of the plans was focussed on improving health and wellbeing and included specific actions to achieve this, supported by corresponding outcomes.

The life stage delivery plans had been developed from the plans agreed in 2021-22 and took into account all local knowledge regarding priorities for 2022-23, including those services where actions were accelerated, delayed or superseded during the last year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The plans also reflected the NHS Planning Guidance for 2022-23 and the NHS Long Term Plan. 

The actions within the delivery plans had been discussed locally across health and social care commissioners and providers.  Amendments had been made based on the feedback from those forums.

It was noted that every year there were risks associated with plans, and that 2022-23 continued to have additional risks associated with:

•      Further waves of Covid-19, particularly any differing impact of new variants

•      System capacity to simultaneously recover a range of areas impacted by the COVID response whilst moving forwards on service development and improvement

•      Internal system changes, in particular the South Yorkshire ICB as it goes live from 1 July 2022  

These risks would be monitored during the year and reflected in local updates.

During subsequent discussion, Board members made a range of comments/observations on the Delivery Plans, including the following:-

• In highlighting the need to monitor progress and outcomes, Dr Rupert Suckling referred to the outcomes in the JSNA and also confirmed that the Integration White Paper would require local areas to agree a set of outcomes. In light of this, he explained that there would be a need to review existing outcomes to ensure these were fit for purpose going forward.

• With regard to Primary Care, Anthony explained that the model was moving towards greater collaboration across Primary Care networks.  Councillor Nigel Ball stated that the culture in communities was such that people wanted to see a GP, and that if people were to be encouraged to move away from that traditional model, then positive alternatives would need to be offered instead.  In reply, Anthony acknowledged that there would be a need for effective communication with the public so that they understood that it would be a different offer in the future.

• Steve Lyons, Board Member of Healthwatch Doncaster, gave examples of different methods of engagement with the public that were being trialled by Healthwatch, including online surveys, establishing a TikTok account and having a live presence in the Crucial Crew programme being run at the Lifewise Centre in Hellaby.  Dr Rupert Suckling added that the question of how to include engagement with the public in the delivery plans would need further consideration and he suggested that an update on this issue be brought to this Board’s meeting in September.

• Cath Witherington informed the Board that Voluntary Action Doncaster had taken on a digital inclusion co-ordinator to help people to access healthcare digitally, whilst recognising that a blended approach, including in-person services, was still needed.  She advised that they were also piloting reverse mentoring, and it was hoped that this could be pursued through the new Fairness and Wellbeing Commission and Youth Council, amongst other forums.

After members had welcomed the proposal for quarterly progress reports to be brought to future meetings of this Board, and the Chair had confirmed that a further report to consider the outcomes and methods of public engagement in the Delivery Plans would be submitted to the next meeting, it was

RESOLVED to endorse the final life stage Delivery Plans for Starting Well, Living Well and Ageing Well.