Agenda item

Public Question Concerning Care Planning

Mike Simpson referred to his local doctor’s surgery patient participation group at which he was told that the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had commissioned some form of care planning exercise from all practices. He stated that at that brief discussion, it was not clear what was meant by care planning. He asked what is the relationship of this exercise to the integration work described to the Health and Wellbeing Board?

In response, Dr Tim Moorhead, the Co-Chair of the Board, stated that the CCG had asked GP practices to implement a care planning approach, which describe an individual’s range of illnesses and produced a plan, possibly with the involvement of a multi-disciplinary team, to support a person to self-care and address what should be done if there is an escalation in their health needs. For long-term conditions, the plan was subject to regular review.

Practices were asked to look at cases of moderate risk. If there was a care plan it was thought that this may reduce the likelihood of a patient’s escalation to urgent care. It was not yet known how effective the approach will prove to be. Investment had been made into the care planning approach in this year and was intended for the next financial year. All of the GP practices in Sheffield had taken up the approach.

Tim Furness, the Director of Business, Planning and Partnerships, NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, explained that in relation to integration, care planning was also part of the health and social care commissioning picture. It was acknowledged that care planning did have different meaning, depending upon the context.