To consider the contents of the briefing note.

The Head of Commissioning – Adults and Children introduced the item and explained that delayed transfers of care happened when it was not possible to discharge from hospital someone who was medically fit to do so. This practice was commonly referred to as ‘bed blocking’ in the media, and affected waiting times for other patients waiting to access NHS services. Members were told that it was important for patients to be discharged from hospital at the right time, as unnecessarily long stays resulted in lower morale and motivation, along with the increased risk of infection. Being discharged at the appropriate time also reduced the chances of patients needing to be readmitted to hospital.

The Head of Commissioning – Adults and Children informed Members that reducing delayed transfers was a key focus for all local authorities, and the Department of Health had set the target of no more than 3.5 per cent of hospital beds nationally to be occupied by a patient who was subject to a delayed transfer. The Royal Borough’s individual Health and Wellbeing Board had been set the target of no more than 15.3 delays per day on average; this had just been missed, as the average for last year was 15.7 days. For the current year this target had been reduced to 11.2 delays per day. The Head of Commissioning – Adults and Children informed Members that each delay would be ‘coded’ against the body responsible for the delay. For example if a person who was eligible for Local Authority funding was not able, for whatever reason, to be placed in a care home, the delay would be coded as a Local Authority delay; if the person was not eligible for Local Authority funding, then it would be coded as an NHS delay.

Rachel Wakefield informed Members that a number of schemes and projects had been implemented to reduce delayed transfers. These included greater collaborative working with community hospitals, hospices and local authorities, and the introduction of a weekly ‘transfer list’ so individual patients’ needs could be continually assessed. Some delays were caused by a lack of available transport; this had been partially remedied in the winter by an investment in private transport for patients. It had been noted that a need for additional specialist equipment was a regular cause of a delayed transfer. Members were informed that over the last year there had been two exceptional cases where it had been difficult to assess the appropriate location for the patient, which had resulted in two patients taking a bed for a combined 400 days between them. Vernon Nosal informed Members that there was a dedicated hospital social work team that was capable of carrying out patient assessments in the community, thereby reducing the need for patients to visit hospital.

Mark Sanders stated that Healthwatch were aware of three separate incidents where carers had been to visit a patient, only to find they had been discharged and were waiting to be picked up. Rachel Wakefield stated that this had been a communication issue, and that during busy periods some staff had not had the opportunity to collect the carer’s contact details.

The Chairman and Cllrs Mills and Yong all stated they had personal experience of someone they knew suffering a delayed transfer, due to a delay in receiving the correct medication or antibiotics. Rachel Wakefield informed the Panel that staff at Wexham Park had been receiving additional training in order to speed up this process.

The contents of the briefing note was noted by Members.