News

The impact on Continuing Healthcare from Covid-19 was immediate and significant, as the implementation of new community pathways has changed how teams work, as has interim funding. 

We’re now seeing a significant backlog of patients waiting for elective surgery currently 5.6 million patients, with 293,102 waiting for more than a year (as of July 2021). This pressure impacts Continuing Healthcare by stretching scarce resources – staff and nursing beds in the community.

As we look ahead the introduction of integrated care systems provide opportunity for improvement in the delivery of Continuing Healthcare. Commissioning at the scale of an ICS could:

• Reduce variation through improved training 
• Allow scope to support new specialist roles
• Give momentum for updated back-office function utilising tech and analysis
• Support leads to work at a more strategic level 

At the centre of this is supporting patients and their families as they navigate a complex system at a time of real stress and worry. 

Since the start of the pandemic, we have run several webinars bringing together NHS teams and experts. These have been informal sessions sharing insight and experience. We know that there are many questions about the future of Continuing Healthcare so we have designed a series of webinars over the autumn and winter which will consider these.

The first in this series, ‘Driving quality, safety and efficiency with data in Continuing Healthcare’ will take place 24 September.

While data is regularly used for tracking CHC costs and managing CHC budgets, we’ll look at how it can be used to identify efficiencies, support QIPP targets and help ensure patients receive safe and appropriate care. 

Facilitated by Harry Bourton, National CHC Operations Manager at CHS Healthcare, he’ll be joined by:

• Hayley Tingle, Chief Finance Officer at NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group and Acting Chief Finance Officer at NHS Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group
• Andrew Whittingham, Associate Director of Finance, NHS Cheshire CCG

The panel will address the following questions:

• Does the move to ICS create an opportunity to improve data quality?
• Can we develop targets around patient safety which are specifically data related?
• Is data being effectively leveraged for QIPP targets?
• What are the financial risks in a number of CCGs coming together as a single ICS?
• Are there any risks in terms of contingent liabilities for those CCGs declaring backlogs in CHC assessments and reviews?

Following that upcoming sessions will include:

• October – Continuing Healthcare within Integrated Care Systems
• November – Developing skills and capacity within the Continuing Healthcare workforce
• December – Driving the effective management of personal health budgets in Continuing Healthcare
• January – Digital platforms and best practice for reviews and assessments 
• February – From DoLS to Liberty protection safeguards – implications for Continuing Healthcare 
• March – Update on reviews and assessments case law and PHSO report 

To join the first of the webinar series on 24 September, visit the link here. We will update this page with more detail on the programme, speakers and invite links as they are confirmed. 

For more information on the series or individual webinars, please contact Ben Hackwell at ben.hackwell@chshealthcare.co.uk to find out more.