Issue - meetings

Purpose of the item:

1.1 To inform Surrey County Council’s Health Select Committee of the current Discharge to Assess arrangements in Surrey and to set out challenges and work underway to enable improved outcomes for people who are being discharged from hospital.

1.2 The Committee is asked to note the important part that Discharge to Assess plays as a contributor to resident/patient flow in discharge, as well as the commitment given to Discharge to Assess by Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System.

HEALTHWATCH SURREY PRESENTATION

Witnesses:

Katharine Newman, Intelligence Officer Healthwatch Surrey

Key points made during the discussion:

1. Healthwatch Surrey provided a presentation on Discharge to Assess insights and reflections.

2. The Chairman asked where people could find the hospital guide for carers. The Healthwatch Surrey Intelligence Officer explained that the carers’ hospital guide could be found on the Action for Carers Surrey Website, and it was practical guide on the support carers were entitled to when the person they cared for were being discharged from hospital.

3. A Member raised that there did not always seem to be a continuity in communication between the hospitals and carers. The Healthwatch Surrey Intelligence Officer explained that the discharge team should be communicating with the carer and managing people’s expectations on what would be available to them.

4. The Executive Director for Adults Health and Wellbeing Partnerships (AW&HP) provided the committee with Surrey-related data. Based on a survey in 2022/23, 69.5% of carers felt included in discussions on discharge, against a national average of 64%. The re-launched jointly produced Surrey Carers Strategy was prioritising carers with significant co-production work to ensure that the position would be improved.

5. A Member asked if Healthwatch Surrey had received any feedback from the cloud telephony system in GP surgeries. The Healthwatch Surrey Intelligence Officer explained that where it was working it was working well but there were still some areas where people were having difficulty.

Recommendations:

1. To ensure that language used for automatic responses reflects a friendlier approach.

SURREY HEARTLANDS & SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL DISCHARGE TO ASSESS REPORT [Item 7]

Witnesses:

Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Public Health

Helen Coombes, Executive Director for Adults, Wellbeing and Health Partnerships (AW&HP)

Paul Morgan, Head of Continuing Care

Lorna Hart, ICS Development Director- Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership

Gareth Howells, Director of Delivery (East Surrey Place)

Malin Farnsworth, Consultant- Surrey Downs Health & Care Partnership

Christopher Sin Chan, Frailty Consultant- Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

Sue Tresman, Independent Carers Lead

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. A Member asked how Surrey Heartlands ICS had made improvements to streamlining access to care and advice for frail and elderly residents, providing more proactive and personalised care. The ICS Development Director explained that each of Surrey Heartlands ICS places had a model of care that encompassed discharge to assess, which included access to information, communication, and engagement with communities. Surrey County Council (SCC) had been forthright in bringing together information for all carers. The carers partnership forum, chaired by the Surrey Independent Carers Lead for Surrey Heartlands ICS, was bringing together carers from across Surrey Heartlands ICS and promoting their voice, and the voice of patients.

2. The Director of Delivery (East Surrey Place) explained that a lot of work had been completed in the past year around Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s ‘let’s get you home’ campaign. This campaign would start with providing consistent information to patients and carers on what to expect during hospital stays and after. There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7