More changes for health and care services in York

Proposal to establish new York Health and Care Alliance
Image result for health and care images

City of York Council’s Executive will consider plans to further improve health and social care services across the city at a meeting on Thursday 18 March. 

Building on the successes of York’s vaccination rollout, city-wide testing and support for people who are shielding, the proposals to establish a Health and Social Care Alliance for York have been led by a number of health and social care partners in the city, including the council, NHS commissioners and providers, and voluntary sector organisations.

The aim of the Alliance will be to strengthen health, care and public services in the city by building healthcare locally around residents, rather than around organisations.  By doing so, the council and its partners can better tackle health inequalities which existed before COVID, but have been magnified by it, and improve the general health and wellbeing of the York population.

The proposals will also work to lock-in some of the positive work seen throughout the pandemic, which has been achieved by partners working in a more collaborative and effective manner due to the challenges of the pandemic.  This work includes:

  • supporting people with COVID-19 and spotting signs of deterioration through the COVID Hub Single Point of Access
  • delivering city wide testing, tracing and outbreak management (for example with universities and colleges, or with care homes)
  • supporting people access primary care, therapy and specialist nursing whilst shielding
  • delivering an exemplary COVID vaccination effort with many partners contributing to a swift and very successful rollout of the vaccine so far.

The proposals have been developed in response to the recent publication of the Government’s ‘Integration and Innovation’ White Paper, which sets out a series of reforms to health and care which the Government intend to implement at the beginning of April 2022.

This paper, published in February, also sets out how Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are expected to become embedded in legislation by April 2022 and therefore have statutory responsibilities, as part of reforms to the Health and Social Care Act. This Integrated Care System covers an area which includes York, as well as North Yorkshire, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.

If approved, the proposals would see the York Health and Social Care Alliance run in shadow form during the 2021-22 financial year, in order to further develop governance and accountability structures. Once all partners have agreed to the yet-to-be-proposed terms of reference, the board will be formalised in 2022, when the new national legislation takes effect.

The Alliance membership will comprise different organisations involved in commissioning or delivering health and care in York:

  • Vale of York CCG
  • City of York Council
  • York Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
  • Nimbuscare (Primary care services provider in York)
  • Community and Voluntary Services
  • St Leonard’s Hospice
  • York Schools and Academies Board
  • Representatives of Primary Care networks.

Gale Farm Court care services rated ‘good’

Gale Farm Court sheltered accommodation

Gale Farm Court sheltered accommodation

Care and support services at City of York Council’s Sheltered Accommodation with Extra Care facilities has been described as ‘good’ by independent inspectors

The Personal Support Services (PSS), which offers care services to a number of tenants at Glen Lodge, Barstow House, Marjorie Waite Court and Gale Farm Court, was assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January. It was described as ‘safe, effective, caring and responsive’ by the team of inspectors, who spoke to tenants and members of staff as part of their visit.

Comments from customers included: “I feel safe because they’re [the carers] are so efficient.”; “The care workers are very professional in everything they do.” “The carers and very good and considerate. They always look after me well and are most kind and careful.”

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, City of York Council, said: “I’m pleased that the inspection has highlighted so many areas of good practice in the care and support provided at our sheltered housing accommodation. It’s particularly heartening to see so many positive comments from customers about the care they receive.

“Extending the existing facilities at Glen Lodge and creating additional purpose-built Sheltered Accommodation across the city is a key part of our plans to improve accommodation for older people in the city and I’m delighted that our existing services are rated as ‘good’. I’d like to thank all the staff for their continued hard work and dedication.”

Fresh look for York Connect to Support – Core Information and Advice eMarketplace

Connect to support

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A website offering information about local services, providers and activities and groups for adults needing care and support has a fresh new look this month.

Connect to Support York has been updated and refreshed to ensure that the information on the site is inline with new national changes to care and support as laid out in the Care Act legislation.

The site enables people to find out about activities and groups in their local area; source information and advice, and purchase their own help and support directly from provider organisations.
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