Agenda item - Section 75 Exceptions Report

48.1    This item was introduced by Anne Richardson-Locke, Adult Social Care Commissioning & Performance Manager; and by Michelle Elson, Brighton & Hove CCG.

48.2    Members were told that the contract was forecast to overspend by the end of the financial year. An action plan was being implemented to address this. A range of actions were required, including changing the behaviours of prescribers and improving communication with service users.

48.3    In response to a question from Cllr Page as to whether reducing the number of same-day equipment deliveries might exacerbate delayed transfers of care, Ms Richardson-Locke told the Board that there was no risk here: the aim is to reduce only unnecessary and unsuccessful same-day deliveries.

48.4    In reply to a question from Cllr Barford on whether there has been performance improvement since the new action plan was introduced, Ms Richardson-Locke told members that it was too early to report on this as the changes to the delivery options had been made in Octobers yet, but that she was confident that performance would improve.

48.5    In response to a question from the Chair, Ms Richardson-Locke explained that the new contractor was content for contract areas to be flexed provided it could continue to meet its costs. The contract was designed around the need to ensure that the provider was able to keep operating even if activity was reduced.

48.6    The Chair commented that it was clear that there needed to be learning from the problems experienced in the first year of this contract. More generally, commissioners also need to learn from past experiences of redesigning and tendering contracts.

48.7   RESOLVED – That the report be noted.