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Joint measures to combat NHS winter pressures
The Prime Minister today chaired a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on health, bringing together health ministers from all parts of the United Kingdom. This follows from the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister in Cardiff on 7 April.
The Prime Minister said:-
“The National Health Service is a devolved responsibility. The UK as a whole takes strength from that since it allows each administration to develop policies to reflect individual circumstances and needs in each country.
“But co-operation can also play an important part and the package agreed today by ministers from across the UK shows the strengths of ministers from all administrations working together to address common problems.”
” I was particularly pleased to welcome David Trimble and Bairbre de Brún, representing Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is different from Scotland, England and Wales in that health and social services are integrated. I was very glad they were able to join the JMC process and to share their experience with other ministerial colleagues. In particular their experience of closer joint working between health and social services and the part this can play in addressing problems of bed-blocking was invaluable.”
Discussion focused on how the National Health Service in each part of the UK can best address winter pressures and combat the distress and inefficiencies which are caused by bed-blocking and delayed discharges.
The meeting agreed the following key commitments :-
* Bed-blocking - the distress caused by bed-blocking and delayed discharges is avoidable. Too many patients stay in hospitals or specialist wards longer than their clinical needs demand. Building on experience, including from Northern Ireland, the administrations have shared interests in combating this inefficiency, and to avoid consequent distress to patients and their families.
* All parts of the country have identified common interests in addressing winter pressures. Building on announcements already made on flu vaccinations, agreement has been reached to exchange information on lessons from last year and planning for the coming winter, including the report of the emergency pressures task force set up by the National Assembly for Wales. Health Ministers will meet again in October to review progress and to share information and best practice.
Delayed discharges and links between health and social services
Delayed discharges from hospital of patients needing continuing care have been a problem in all health systems. Ministers heard that in Northern Ireland the closer links between the health service and social services means it is often possible to arrange for discharge more promptly than in other parts of the UK. The flexibility and practicability of an integrated system offers scope to make a more comprehensive and co-ordinated assessment of care needs.
Winter Planning
Following separate announcements on 23 May about flu vaccinations, Ministers agreed:-
* to explore how routine outpatient attendances can identify ‘at risk’ patients and to reinforce the importance of immunisation;
* to exchange information on each administration’s experience of last winter and planning arrangements for the coming winter;
* to share research in Scotland into the number of preventable medical admissions, thus relieving pressure on other parts of the health service; and
* to share information on other innovations including how Accident and Emergency units can best contribute to alleviating winter pressures and to take into account the Royal Colleges of Physicians UK-wide report on the role of the Acute Care Physician in Acute Medical Admissions.
All the administrations also intend expanding their critical care capacity to deal with the extra winter case-load; to work to identify existing critical care skills within the nursing workforce; and to build capacity in nurse consultants and general critical care training.
Driving up Performance
Alan Milburn also discussed his plans to drive up performance in the NHS in England. Health Ministers agreed that reducing variations in performance was a high priority for the health service throughout the UK and that all would exchange information on the measures they were planning to introduce in each of their respective countries to the next meeting.
5th June 2000
Background Note
1. The role of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) is set out in an annex to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was agreed between the UK Government, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive in October 1999. The texts are being debated in the Northern Ireland Assembly today. The MoU, which are available at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/cabsec/1999/memorandum/index.htm, were presented to Parliament as Command Paper 4444.
2. The JMC meets in a number of functional forms. The Health Committee is chaired by the Prime Minister. The following also attended the meeting:-
UK Government
Alan Milburn, Secretary of State for Health
Andrew Smith, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
John Reid, Secretary of State for Scotland
Paul Murphy, Secretary of State for Wales
George Howarth, Parliamentary Under Secretary, Northern Ireland Office
Scottish Executive
Jim Wallace, Deputy First Minister
Susan Deacon, Minister for Health
National Assembly for Wales
Jane Hutt, Assembly Secretary for Health
Northern Ireland Executive Committee
David Trimble, First Minister
Bairbre de Brún, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety
3. Other Joint Ministerial Committees have been created on the Knowledge Economy and Poverty, to allow the administrations to exchange information and best practice in these areas. These committees are chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
4. Less formal meetings of Ministers also take place to discuss issues of common interest and concern, eg on agriculture, housing, the environment.
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