CCG seeks patient feedback about how it can improve intermediate care services

Proposals for intermediate care services in Bury that aim to improve the range of care services available to benefit more people are being consulted on and local people are being asked to share their views with NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Intermediate care services support people in the community. This may be in a care setting or in a person’s own home, helping to promote independence and provide care, therapies and rehabilitation. This could be provided after surgery, a stay in hospital or to prevent a hospital admission, for example.

Bury CCG says that home-based care offers the best opportunity to regain independence and prevents the need for care. However, the CCG notes that people in Bury don’t have the same opportunity to access home-based intermediate care compared to other areas in the country due to an over reliance on bed-based care that has resulted in the lack of development of services provided from people’s own homes

Bury currently funds 68 intermediate care beds in a number of settings across the borough, however, comparison with the national average suggests an area the size of Bury requires just 49 beds. As a result, intermediate care beds are regularly unoccupied, costing Bury £1.5 million per year, the CCG unveils.

It highlights that this money could be invested in other parts of Bury’s health and care system to benefit more people.

The proposal, which is now out to public consultation until the end of November, aims to:

• reduce the overall number and type of beds that are funded to be more in line with the number of beds expected for an area the size of Bury
• increase the overall amount of care being delivered by investing in other parts of the service including home-based, rapid response and reablement services, creating a more balanced model of both bed-based and home-based care to support people at different stages in their recovery

Dr. Jeffrey Schryer, local GP and Chair of NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “Our health and care providers are completely committed to providing the best possible, high quality and responsive care for local people.

“Whilst some parts of our intermediate care services run very efficiently and provide good outcomes for people for a fair price, other parts do not.  We must take this opportunity to reduce waste where beds are regularly unoccupied, look at other options where services don’t offer good value and to move away from using outdated estate.

“We have a real opportunity to provide a more balanced range of services that will benefit more people and offer them the best opportunity to regain independence and reduce the need for future care.”

Beds earmarked for potential removal include those currently provided at Bealey Intermediate Care Facility. The CCG emphasises that the Bealey site does not offer best value for money, the layout prevents further conversion or expansion and the building is in need of modernisation to keep pace with hygiene and safety standards.

If the Bealey site was no longer used for health and care services, the group says it would be considered in the Radcliffe regeneration plans.

NHS Bury CCG reassures that no decisions have been made and is encouraging local residents to read the consultation document before submitting their feedback through a short survey.

Cllr Andrea Simpson, Bury Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, added: “We want Bury residents to be able to access a wider range of intermediate care services that are better suited to meet their needs than they currently can access.  This will improve their experience and outcomes, maximising their opportunities to progress, to regain and maintain their independence and prevent unnecessary admissions to a hospital or a care home.

“We understand the Bealey site is important to many people and should the site no longer be used for health and care services in the future, we are committed to ensuring all avenues are fully and carefully explored in relation to its future use, we want to capture people’s thoughts on this as part of this consultation about improving the range of services available for people in Bury.”

All feedback will be captured and form part of a final report for discussion at the Strategic Commissioning Board, a joint Bury Council and CCG committee, at its meeting taking place in December 2020.

This committee meets in public, although the meeting may be online/virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bury CCG adds.

To read the consultation document and complete the online survey, click here

To request a hard copy of the survey, email: engagement@bury.gov.uk