Agenda item - Knoll House: Interim Arrangements 2020-21

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health (copy attached)

RESOLVED – (1) That the Board agrees the short-term interim use of Knoll House to provide rehabilitation beds to support timely discharge from hospital and support unnecessary admissions;

(2) That the Board agrees the short-term interim use of Knoll House to provide rehabilitation beds to support timely discharge from the hospital and support unnecessary admissions;

(3) That the Board only agrees this proposal through to the end of March 2021 in support of the wider health and care system taking a precautionary approach to the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 in what projections indicate could be an already challenging winter;

(4) The Board notes that all the costs of running the rehabilitation service will be met by the NHS;

(5) That the Board reaffirms its commitment to its previous decision for Knoll House to be remodelled to deliver a long-term residential unit for adults with ABI and/or physical disability and supporting this the implementation of this agreement;

(6) The Board agrees that the work to commission the ABI and/or physical disability service continue over the next 6 months, concurrent with the rehabilitation service; and

(7) The Board requires the Clinical Commissioning Group to bring a paper back in January 2021 updating upon the position in light of the circumstances at the time. If there is any risk of the interim use continuing beyond March 2021 this paper will present an options appraisal including financial mitigations recognising the Council cannot be exposed to future additional unplanned financial risk.

18.1    The Board considered a report of the Executive Director for Health and Adult Social Care explaining that following agreement of the Board at its meeting on 28 January 2020 approval had been given for future use of Knoll House as a long-term residential care facility for adults with Acquired Brain injury and/or physical disability. HASC was required to commission minor capital works to the building and to bring a paper to the Board on the management/staffing options with a view to it being operational from late 2020. That process had been delayed as a result of the resources which had been required in response to the Covid 19 pandemic, Knoll House was currently empty and it was not anticipated that it could be made ready for its long term use until the summer/autumn 2021.

18.3    The Brighton and Hove CCG had approached the Council and had requested that Knoll House be used this coming winter in order to secure additional discharges from acute community and mental health in patient care for patients requiring ongoing NHS provided rehabilitation to support timely discharge. As Covid 19 pressures remained winter was anticipated to be particularly challenging, particularly in view of the potential risk of a second wave. In taking a precautionary approach there was an urgent need to develop additional capacity with potential demand for up 40 addition beds. The opportunity to deliver 20 additional beds would therefore make a significant contribution.

18.4    Ashley Scarff, CCG explained that the CCG would enter into a suitable financial arrangement with the council for the short-term use of Knoll House which would be handed back to the council at the end of the winter period. The Executive Director confirmed that the building could be returned to the council for use very quickly and that provided there were no were no additional un-anticipated calls on officer resources he anticipated that it would be possible to put a further report to the Board and for the required works to be undertaken for its longer-term use for summer/autumn 2020/21.

18.5    RESOLVED – (1) That the Board agrees the short-term interim use of Knoll House to provide rehabilitation beds to support timely discharge from hospital and support unnecessary admissions;

(2) That the Board agrees the short-term interim use of Knoll House to provide rehabilitation beds to support timely discharge from the hospital and support unnecessary admissions;

(3) That the Board only agrees this proposal through to the end of March 2021 in support of the wider health and care system taking a precautionary approach to the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 in what projections indicate could be an already challenging winter;

(4) The Board notes that all the costs of running the rehabilitation service will be met by the NHS;

(5) That the Board reaffirms its commitment to its previous decision for Knoll House to be remodelled to deliver a long-term residential unit for adults with ABI and/or physical disability and supporting this the implementation of this agreement;

(6) The Board agrees that the work to commission the ABI and/or physical disability service continue over the next 6 months, concurrent with the rehabilitation service; and

(7) The Board requires the Clinical Commissioning Group to bring a paper back in January 2021 updating upon the position in light of the circumstances at the time. If there is any risk of the interim use continuing beyond March 2021 this paper will present an options appraisal including financial mitigations recognising the Council cannot be exposed to future additional unplanned financial risk.