Agenda item - Better Care Fund 2022/23 - Annual Plan Submissions

Report of the Executive Director, Health & Adult Social Care, and the Deputy Managing Director, Brighton & Hove, NHS Sussex (copy attached)

RESOLVED - (1) The Board notes the requirements for 2022/23; and

(2) The Board ratifies the submission of the Better Care Fund planning returns for Brighton & Hove for 2022/23 to NHSE in accordance with national requirements and agreed approach submitted on 27 September 2022.      

26.1    The Board considered a joint report of the Director of Adult Social Care and the Deputy Managing Director, NHS Sussex Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.

26.2    Ashley Scarff explained that the scale to which everything had needed to be turned around and completed to a very tight schedule. Based on previous experience and taking on board discussion which had taken place at Board meetings in the past those preparing the documentation had sought to build in stability and continuity and to maximise capacity and capability. The process dovetailed with the national planning framework, various other deadlines did not. Councillor Shanks, the Chair noted that year on year this continued to be the case.      

26.3    Ashley Scarff referred to the appendices containing financial information, how the Better Care Plan would be applied for the coming years and how we were meeting nationally set conditions, the criteria by which we had to meet and apply the fund and also the metrics by which the fund would be delivered and how it related back to NHS plans and the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.  

26.4   Councillor Shanks asked whether it was possible to get this back into sync. There was a drive to bring this forward and to complete earlier but everything was not there yet. The Executive Director, Adult Health and Social Care confirmed that over recent years and this year there had been an element of reinvigoration. Government was being pressed to bring forward the necessary guidance earlier in the year and that would continue.   

26.5    David Liley, Healthwatch, referred to the need to hold contingency funding back asking why that was done and the rationale for that was explained.

26.7    Joanna Martindale, asked whether it would be possible to roll the plan forward any further and it was explained that whilst pressure to that end had been brought to bear as far as that was possible this was nationally led.   

26.8    RESOLVED - (1) The Board notes the requirements for 2022/23 Better Care Funds;

(2) That the Board notes as recommended the place-based governance and oversight of developing plans 2022/23; and

(3) That the Board ratifies the submission of the Better Care Fund planning returns for Brighton and Hove for 2022/23 NHSF in accordance with national requirements and agreed approach submitted on 27 September 2022.