Agenda item

9.1

The Committee received a report from NHS Sheffield setting out the case for the decommissioning of Grenoside Grange West Wing, and seeking its views on the proposals.

9.2

Tim Furness, Chief of Business, Planning and Partnerships, NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) presented the report and indicated that the NHS Sheffield CCG had identified, in the course of reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of all services it commissioned, that the outcomes for people referred to Grenoside Grange West Wing could be improved, and subsequent savings made, by providing rehabilitation at home for those people who could benefit, and with interim care in a care home for those who need interim care rather than rehabilitation.

9.3

Members of the Committee and representatives of LINk raised questions and the following responses were provided:-

·               People leaving West Wing would either return home, with rehabilitation, where appropriate, or would move to long-term care, as most patients currently do on discharge.

·               NHS Sheffield CCG planned to consult LINk on the proposals following this meeting.

·               The audit undertaken in October 2012 of patients in West Wing had shown that the care required could have been provided elsewhere at a significantly reduced cost.  The comparisons had been made with an independent care home, providing a similar package of care, and which managed to get more people back home, at a cost considerably lower than at West Wing. 

·               The service was not meeting the needs of the client group it was originally intended for. Whilst it could not be confirmed where those people who were originally anticipating going to West Wing were being cared for, it was believed that they were receiving care elsewhere, from services such as Community Intermediate Care Services (CICS) or the Short Term Intervention Team (STIT), or other similar services.

·               It was agreed that the decommissioning of West Wing could have a detrimental effect in terms of an increase in the length of a patient’s stay in an acute hospital.  Any increase would be likely to be for a much smaller length of time than the average time people spend on West Wing, so that people would overall get home sooner.  It was agreed that the question needed further investigation before a decision could be made.

·               It was not believed that the decommissioning of West Wing would have a detrimental effect on the other Wing at Grenoside (G1).  Discussions had been held with the Care Trust on this issue and they had not raised any concerns in terms of finances or any other issues.

·               There had been no discussions with the Care Trust regarding alternative use of the Ward, although it was likely that an alternative use for West Wing would be found.

·               As indicated in the report now submitted, approximately 40 patients a year were discharged from West Wing, with approximately six patients being discharged home.  This was around half the number of patients discharged home from the independent care home, which had been used as a comparison as part of the audit undertaken in October 2012.  The outcomes, particularly regarding how patients were discharged, were considerably better within the independent sector.

·               It was possible that patients had been discharged from West Wing when they were not ready to leave.  The majority of patients were discharged into care homes and were generally well enough to do so.

9.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       notes the contents of the report now submitted, together with the responses to the questions raised; and

(b)       requests that the issues now raised as part of the question and answer session be referred to the Clinical Commissioning Group, for consideration as part of the consultation.