The Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD) is a partnership of local NHS organisations and councils in Plymouth, Torbay and the rest of the county. This One Devon Bulletin focuses on how teams from across the system are working together to deliver high quality services and projects that will transform care for future generations

Welcome to our second One Devon Bulletin, a monthly publication for local people and staff, focusing on the strong partnerships that underpin the work of our Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD).

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister lifted most of the remaining restrictions in England, which I’m sure will have come as a relief to many people, businesses, and organisations across the county.

Equally, I know there will be others who will be anxious about what happens next. As Professor Chris Witty recently said, “we are not out of the woods yet” and must proceed with caution.

Cases of coronavirus in the county are rising and while hospitalisations are also increasing and the pressure bearing down on our health and care system is greater than ever.  All parts of the system are under huge pressure with some providers reporting record levels of activity. System partners are pulling together to tackle the issues, pooling resources and alleviating pressure wherever they can. We also need everyone to choose the right services for their needs.

I saw these pressures myself when I recently visited Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and was hugely impressed with the professionalism and compassion shown to patients. Thanks to Ann James, Melanie Walker and others for showing me round. I also saw diagnostic services and training when I visited the former NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter, which is set to play a further role in local healthcare as part of the Accelerator Systems Programme to tackle waiting lists for surgery.

Colleagues in social care continue to show exemplary dedication and commitment in testing circumstances to provide the highest standards of service to people living in the county's care homes and are maintaining infection prevention and control measures to keep people safe. 

Due to the incredible dedication of staff and people across Devon, we are making huge strides with our vaccination programme and I was privileged to meet teams at Greendale Vaccination Centre, Exeter.

I want to thank everyone who is supporting the programme from the nurses and doctors delivering vaccinations to public health colleagues, site owners and teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to organise the many clinics across our county – as well as all the local people who have chosen to get their vaccine.

We’re hugely grateful to the many organisations across Devon that help us to listen to and understand local people’s views about health and care, so I’m really pleased that we’re featuring an article this month on one of those organisations – Healthwatch.

With the school holidays nearly upon us, I hope you’ve got some time away planned in our glorious county or beyond. It’s been a challenging year, and everyone needs time to relax, rest and recuperate.

Kind regards,

Jane

Jane Milligan

Chief executive of the Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD)
and NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

Health and care partners in Devon are sharing resources to help manage extremely high numbers of people using local services.

As you will have seen in local media in recent weeks, all parts of our system are under huge pressure, with some providers reporting record numbers of people needing their services. Increasing numbers of Covid cases and the prolonged period of heat are leading to more hospital admissions, meaning services that are already at full stretch are much busier.

Staffing levels in health and care are among those affected by people having to take time off to self-isolate or look after children who have been sent home from school.

All system partners are working together to tackle the issues, sharing resources and alleviating pressure wherever they can.

Measures include daily meetings where organisations can raise issues, with support being given from other providers wherever possible. Recent examples of collaboration include specialist trust doctors seeing patients at other local trusts, offering suitably qualified colleagues in other organisations the opportunity to fill shifts where staffing levels are under pressure, and freeing up ambulance time by arranging safe alternative transport for patients in certain cases.

Local people are being asked by clinicians and health professionals to only attend their local emergency department in immediately life-threatening cases and choose the right service for their needs.

Local GP Dr Shelagh McCormick (pictured) said: “The pandemic is not over yet and we need local people to choose the right service for their needs. Where it is not urgent, you can help NHS staff, who are under extreme pressure at the moment, by waiting for the right service."

Two NHS trusts in Devon are sharing further information about how their proposed integration plans will benefit local people.

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust plan to come together to share their different strengths and tackle challenges together, connecting everyone in Devon with the care they need and making sure it can be accessed in the right place.

The trusts have produced a short animation video which explains why they are integrating and what it will mean for their patients.

For more information, including a Frequently Asked Questions section and all the latest updates, see the trusts' websites: NDHT website, RD&E website. Questions about the proposed integration can be emailed to ndht.rde.integrationcomms@nhs.net.

More than 100 voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) and independent sector organisations have come forward to say they’re interested in helping to shape the future of mental health services in the county.

VCSE and independent sector organisations are key partners in the new Community Mental Health Framework, which is changing the way communities support people across the county with serious mental health needs.

Organisations big and small joined seven online engagement events over the last two weeks to discuss how they thought they could best work together and what role the sector could play. There was huge support for the overall aim of the framework.

The planned improvements will see health and social care services and other statutory agencies working together as one team to support a person’s whole-life needs – including their physical health needs.

A new partnership has launched to make health and social care in Plymouth and western Devon more joined-up.

The Integrated Care Partnership between Livewell Southwest and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust officially launched on 1 July 2021.

The partnership brings together health and social care providers to deliver more joined-up community health, adult social care, mental and learning disability services for adults and older people in Plymouth and the western Devon.

By working together with GPs and the voluntary sector, the partnership can build care around people, supporting them to receive the appropriate care treatment in the setting that best suits them, which is often as close to home as possible.

An independent report on the experiences of health and care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and staff, has been presented to an influential staff group in Devon.

NHS and care leaders in Devon recently backed a series of recommendations to improve the experiences of people from ethnic minority communities in accessing and working in local health and care services. The recommendations were made in a report commissioned by the Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD), and was researched and produced by independent specialists the Nous Group .

In June, the report was presented to the Devon wide BAME Staff Network by ICSD chief executive Jane Milligan, Chair of the Health Inequalities Executive Dr Lincoln Sargeant, and Andrew Millward, ICSD Director of Communications and Engagement, in a session hosted by network chair Sanita Simadree (pictured). The session included a discussion on the findings of the report and next steps.

A steering group is being set up, involving representatives of partners from across the health and care system, to implement the recommendations made in the report. If you are interested in joining the group, contact Nellie Guttmann, Senior Strategic Engagement Manager at NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group on nellieguttmann@nhs.net 

A range of measures is being implemented as part of the Devon Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2021-2022, which was drawn up by Devon County Council in partnership with a range of other local organisations.

The plan was produced in partnership with the police, health and mental health providers, the voluntary and community sectors, Network Rail, Highways England, The Samaritans, the Devon Prisons Service and Exeter University.

Councillor James McInnes, Chairman of DCC’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “Suicide prevention is everyone’s business. Whilst we have the responsibility to produce and deliver an annual action plan, we need to do this in partnership with colleagues in the health and voluntary sectors, emergency services and with communities.”

A Suicide Bereavement Service has been commissioned, covering Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay, while a further £705,000 (over three years) has been awarded by NHS England to develop a suicide prevention programme across the area.

Nearly nine in ten people in Devon reported a good experience of their GP practice, a new major national survey has shown.

Throughout the pandemic, practices have been working together to support one another to care for local people, including most recently through the vaccination programme.

The study, by Ipsos Mori, found that GP practices in Devon consistently performed better than the England average.

Every month, this feature will highlight a team or project in the county that is working in partnership to improve care for local people. If you want to share your story, please get in touch.

What’s the name of your team and where are you based?

We are Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, with Healthwatch Champions based at many areas throughout Devon.

What’s the main purpose of your team?

We help improve health and care services across the county by working with local communities and organisations to gather and represent the views of the public.

What’s been the most challenging aspect for you over the past year?

Trying to engage local people about their healthcare experiences at the same time as a global pandemic was challenging to say the least!

However, we’ve worked hard to continue talking to communities across Devon to capture what life has been like for people using health and care services – as well as supporting our partner organisations.

As services continue to recover from the pandemic, public involvement will be very important so organisations can meet the demand for care, as well as capturing what is working well and what may need to be improved.

What achievement are you most proud of?

With all the restrictions placed on us during the pandemic, the adaptability of the team to carry on with their work and engage with the pubic in new ways due to remote working is definitely something to be proud of!

Over the past year, we’ve engaged with...  Click Read more to continue reading

As the Tokyo Olympics belatedly gets underway, Active Devon will be ready to help the county ride any wave of enthusiasm for sport and physical activity.

Being active is key to thriving communities, according to the not-for-profit organisation, which uses its strong relationships with local organisations to mobilise groups and communities across the county.

Part of a national network and largely funded by Sport England, the 20-strong Devon team are experts in building relationships to unlock and kickstart projects that increase active living.

Chief Executive Matt Evans and Director (Strategic Partnerships) Gareth Dix explained how the role and reach of the organisation is broad, from influencing the strategy of the developing Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD), to helping set up ‘cold water immersion’ (wild swimming - see photo) sessions to boost mental health – and everything in between.

“We can do more together,” said Matt, “It’s an exciting time. In health and care terms, investment at an early stage is key. The evidence is that it has a direct correlation in reducing pressure on acute hospitals, while people who are more mobile later life don’t need hospital as much, and if they do, they will get back home more quickly.”

Matt, who is a keen walker and cycle commuter, said the pandemic had put a focus on activity and some aspects of the response effort should be retained.

“During the lockdowns, the one thing we had permission to do was move every day, even just for an hour, and walking became more widespread. Hopefully, a legacy of the pandemic will be ... 

Click on Read more below.

People in Devon are being offered many different ways to get their Covid-19 vaccination, thanks to the combined efforts of health services across the county.

Vaccination centres are being run by NHS trusts, GP practices and pharmacies at several locations around the county. Many offer walk-in clinics with regularly updated details shared on NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group's Twitter and Facebook pages.  You can find your nearest walk-in clinic here.

Devon has some of the highest vaccination rates in the country with nine in 10 adults having had their first dose while seven out of 10 have had both. In total, more than 1.6 million doses have been given in Devon.

All adults can get a vaccination, and everyone is now eligible to have the second dose 8 weeks after the first. Booked appointments for a vaccination can be made through the National Booking Service or by calling 119.

South West sports stars and celebrities are encouraging people to “Get it Done” and have their Covid-19 vaccination as soon as possible to protect themselves, their loved ones and their local community. Click on the picture link above to watch the video. The video files can be found here

Partners across Devon are continuing to work together to become a statutory Integrated Care System (ICS) following the recent publication of the national ICS Design Framework.

The framework outlines the core features of ICSs – including membership, functions, clinical leadership, and community involvement – while emphasising the need for local flexibility.

The proposed legislation – which has yet to be approved by parliament – would see a statutory ICS formed in every area of England by April 2022.