SOUTH Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), together with a panel of GPs, hosted a public seminar at the Liphook Millennium Centre about the changing approach to health and care services across south-east Hampshire under the heading ‘Better Local Care’.

The CCG, working with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust – and GPs across South Hampshire – was selected by NHS England in 2013 to implement a new care model designed to improve patient’s health, well-being and independence.

The technical term is a “multi-speciality community provider (MCP) – known as ‘Better Local Care’.

BLC is a new partnership involving local NHS and care organisations, GPs and the voluntary sector to better plan and deliver patient care in Hampshire, redesigning care to meet the needs of frail, elderly patients and those with complex, long term conditions.

At first, the pilot scheme run in Gosport, East Hampshire and South West New Forest, involved therapists, nurses, mental health and learning disability staff and GP practices combining integrated care tailored to meet the needs of the local community. Nine other areas have since become involved.

The CCG head is Dr Barbara Rushton, from Liphook and Liss Surgery – the accountable chief officer is Richard Samuel.

The SEH CCG comprises 26 member practices, including Liphook and Liss Surgery, plus Liphook Village, Badgerswood and Pinehill surgeries, both in Bordon, as well as The Grange, in Petersfield.

The CCG had a budget of £280million for 2014/15, covering services at acute hospitals, community services and prescribing, serving a population of 210,833.

The CCG works with seven main NHS providers including the NHS trusts responsible for Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital, the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Western Sussex Hospitals, the Southern Health Foundation Trust, Solent NHS Trust and the Southern Central Ambulance Service.

In Eastern Hampshire, GPs are looking at the development of a same-day access hub to improve patient access and services, and discussing the merits of a single IT system to help general practice and community nursing teams work more closely together to provide seamless care for patients.

Chief officer Mr Samuel admitted this year had been the most testing year so far as a commissioning organisation, and the financial challenge faced is a considerable one, which resulted in a year-end deficit of £0.9million.

The CCG has implemented a financial recovery programme which will continue into 2016/17 and admitted savings targets remain extremely challenging, and more funds will be required to deliver the transformational agenda set out in its five-year forward view.

He stated the CCG had been developing a plan to meet requirements of the NHS’ five-year plan and to help meet its own strategic objectives. “The overall vision,” he said, “remains for everyone to have the support they need to live the life they want – to take control of their health and be as independent as possible throughout their lives”.

Mr Samuel added: “The CCG aims to accomplish this by 2019 and see other benefits such as a reduction by up to 15 per cent in emergency admissions to hospital as people receive better care away from hospitals, less time spent by patients in hospital with more being able to live independently at home after discharge, positive views by those receiving hospital treatment and a reduction in avoidable deaths due to problems in hospital care.”

The CCG admits one of the biggest areas of concern over the past year has been the situation facing urgent and emergency care services, which has been particularly felt in East Hampshire notably in meeting the four-hour maximum waiting time target for accident and emergency departments.

According to the CCG there has been an increasing demand for some services as the population grows older with more complex health problems.

A formal structure called System Resilience Group (SRG) is in place for Portsmouth and South East Hampshire, that brings organisations together to manage all issues relating to urgent care, and ensure the resilience of services locally. An urgent care strategy sets out how to enhance the delivery of such services over the next five years.

The past year has seen the CCG work closely with the community in Whitehill and Bordon, which has been awarded ‘Healthy New Town’ status, seeking to deliver the right range of health services as redevelopment takes place and how these plans will affect the future of Chase Hospital.

Mr Samuel concluded delivery of the A&E waiting target remains challenging.

An emergency care improvement programme that underpins delivery of improvements in urgent care is managed and monitored through the SRG.

All organisations are held to account against delivery of their actions which in turn will address improvements towards overall target delivery and sustainability.

South Central Ambulance Service response times improved last December to 74.3 per cent against 71.8 per cent last November and SCAS has predicted its annual targets could be achieved in 2015/16.

Other notable performances in 2015/16, saw 92 per cent of patients receive their treatment in less than 18 weeks from initial referral, while in mental health, 99 per cent of patients requiring diagnostic tests were seen within six weeks.

The CCG is also creating a new digital support system for patients to ensure the health services it commissions are modern, of high quality and fit for purpose.