In this week’s update:

  • Regional implementation support workshops (leadership)
  • Implementation support virtual ‘drop-in clinics’
  • Reminder - co-design the Better Care Exchange
  • Consultation on s.75 partnership arrangements
Regional implementation support workshops (leadership)
 

Our agenda is your agenda

We understand that as leaders, your time is extremely precious, the challenges that you face in leading your organisations to implement Better Care are vast, and can even seem insurmountable. 

The consortium responsible for the national programme of implementation support has listened to your feedback and has designed these workshops with your requirements in mind.  Using the results of the BCF Implementation Support survey, the consortium has built the agenda around the topics you want to talk about.  Over the course of 3 hours we will help you to develop practical solutions and actions to overcome the challenges you are facing, particularly around:
 
  •          Transition planning
  •          Engaging and communicating effectively across the system
  •          Leading and managing effectively
These workshops provide you with a unique opportunity to learn from those who have successfully led their organisations through difficult periods of change and to share experiences with your colleagues.  The consortium will also make time to address any specific issues you want to talk about on the day.
 

An expert panel, which includes national figures, renowned experts, and other BCF leads, are here to listen to your problems, and share their experience and advice to help you lead successful change.

A schedule of the workshops is provided below.  If you have not received an invitation, but wish to attend, please contact better.care@kpmg.co.uk to register.  Similarly, if you are unable to attend the workshop in your region but wish to attend another, please contact better.care@kpmg.co.uk to register your place at your preferred alternate location.
 
Region Location Date Time Workshop Leads
East of England KPMG office, Botanic House, 100 Hills Road, Cambridge 18th February 09:30 – 12:30 Paul Corrigan & David Reeson
West Midlands KPMG office, One Snowhill, Snow Hill, Queensway, Birmingham 19th February 10:00 – 13:00 Hannah Miller & Gary Belfield
East Midlands KPMG office, 31 Park Row, City Centre, Nottingham 20th February 10:00 – 13:00 Dr Stephen Richards & Gary Belfield
North East KPMG office, Neville St, 1 The Embankment, Leeds 25th February 09:30 - 12:30 Dr Stephen Richards & Tom Keohane
North West Memorial Hall at the Albert Square Chop House, Albert Square, Manchester 24th February 09:30 – 12:30 Gary Belfield & John Oldham
London Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, Russell Sq, London 26th February 09:30 – 12:30 Hannah Miller & Tom Keohane
South East KPMG office, 1 Forest Gate, Brighton Road, Crawley 18th February 10:00 – 13:00 Gary Belfield & TBC
South KPMG office, 100 Temple Street, Bristol 26th February 10:00 – 13:00 Dr Nick Goodwin & Gary Belfield
 

Please note the workshop in Manchester will be taking place on 24th February and the workshop in Leeds on 25th February.

Implementation support virtual ‘drop-in clinics’

In addition to the regional workshops the consortium is running a series of virtual ‘drop-in clinics’ for the rest of this week.  These are one-on-one telephone calls with national experts for individual sites to discuss the particular challenges and issues they are facing in their local area.  The experts will offer their wide range of experience and expertise and provide guidance and practical tips to address your priority needs.  If you are interested in booking a session with one of the experts, please email better.care@kpmg.co.uk.

Reminder - co-design the Better Care Exchange

We want your views and insight to help co-design the Better Care Exchange, an online support tool which will help facilitate the sharing of good practice and build online networks to support better care implementation.

Thanks to those of you who have already submitted your responses.  If you haven’t already done so, please complete the brief survey below.  There is a prize of £50 retail vouchers for one participant, and we are looking for responses before Friday 13th February 2015. The support tool will then be tested with a small user group before going live at the end of March 2015.
 

To access the survey please use the following link: BCF Implementation Support.

Consultation on s.75 partnership arrangements

On 6 February 2015, the Department of Health launched a consultation seeking views on the Government’s proposal to amend the existing regulations that underpin ‘Section 75’ partnership arrangements, to provide greater flexibility in the future around the inclusion of primary care in pooled budget arrangements.  The proposed change to the NHS Bodies and Local Authorities Partnership Arrangements Regulations 2000, would bring primary medical care functions within the permitted scope of partnership arrangements between local authorities and health bodies.  The deadline for responses is 9 March 2015.  Please see the full consultation document. 

The proposal would create additional flexibilities but does not impose any new requirements on areas or NHS England to make use of these. If you’d like to contribute your views, or those of your organisation, you can do so online here.
Please note that the advice provided in the summer regarding spending the BCF on primary care under the current framework remains correct.  The BCF can already be used to pay for additional services commissioned from general practice (or other primary care providers) - that is, services that do not duplicate services already being commissioned under relevant primary care contracts in your area.
     

Finally, a quick reminder that anyone with a BCF policy query should contact bettercarefund@dh.gsi.gov.uk, while any queries specifically related to the national programme of implementation support should be addressed to better.care@kpmg.co.uk.

 

Many thanks,

John Wardell, Better Care Fund Deputy Programme Director