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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL NOTES: MARCH 2005: page 31

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL NOTES: MARCH 2005

1. Portfolio/Number/Name:H/C5Preventing inappropriate hospital admissions

2. Programme/Activity: Please include a short description

By improving the management of patient care in the community setting, including improved management of chronic disease treatment and care, and supporting self-care models, this will result in a reduction in inappropriate hospital admissions. This will: release bed capacity in acute hospitals, there will potentially be a decrease in the number of delayed discharges, and waiting times for elective procedures will improve. In order to ensure and monitor a reduction in inappropriate hospital admissions:

The SEHD will:

  • ensure systems are in place to monitor multiple admissions data
  • ensure performance management arrangements are in place
  • establish a national working group to advise on best practice
  • undertake a review of community nursing and advise on the development of new roles, and

NHS Boards, working with partners, will:

  • inform the SEHD of the service improvements they are putting in place to support the care of people in the community environment
  • absorb the cost of those service improvements in the primary care setting through the savings they are making by reducing inappropriate admissions in the acute environment, the Arbuthnott formula will be applied to identify the savings for each Health Board area
  • produce action plans to document the intended actions and to enable monitoring of the reduction in the number of inappropriate admissions.

3. Planned Savings

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

Cash (m)

5

15

25

Time Releasing (m)

0

0

0

4. Accountable Officer for delivery

Kevin Woods

5. Project Manager

Paul Martin

6. EGDG account manager

Gillian Woolman

7. Quality Impact

Describe any impact on the quality of service delivery. Be specific and explain if the expectation is positive, negative or neutral.

It is expected that the level of patient care in the community setting will be at least as good as would be provided in an acute hospital setting, but the intention is that it should be considerably better, given that it is more appropriate care.

8. Dependencies

Explain if your savings are dependant on legislation or other structural changes being achieved.

Effective implementation of all of these initiatives is dependent on partnership planning and working between the NHS and local authorities within the Community Health Planning (CHP) structure. A culture of maintaining people at home is now the preferred option for all those caring for patients. Other dependencies include the voluntary sector and carers support organisations and their ability to respond to an increase in demand for services.

9. Description of efficiency and actions to be taken

9.1 How will the saving be made? Be specific about number/size of contracts, staff, posts dates etc.

The savings will be made by releasing bed capacity, reducing delayed discharges and improving waiting times for elective procedures.

9.2 What action is critically needed to secure delivery of this saving? Be specific, and name the key action managers if they are outwith your immediate management chain (e.g. in an NDPB.)

This action will have the continued support and drive from NHS Chief Executives. In order to monitor the effectiveness of the initiative there will be the commitment and involvement of NHS performance managers and/or finance personnel to monitor and report.

10. Impact on Staffing to achieve the efficiency gain

If there are to be any changes in staff numbers (at activity level) to achieve the efficiency gain, please indicate how many full time equivalents and how far you expect savings to be achieved by natural wastage (show additions as + and reductions as -).

2005- 06

2006- 07

2007- 08

+

-

Net

Explanation

Change will be in the working practice and programmes of care, and the focusing of staff on otherpriorities

11. Benefits

In general, the benefits of the Scottish Executive Efficiency Plan are the enhanced outputs from the resources Ministers have been able to allocate in SR04. But if there is a direct connection between this efficiency saving and the enhancement of a particular service please describe it here.

The 25m savings identified here have not been re-allocated to any other area of expenditure in SR04; NHS Boards are expected to circulate (internally) the savings made from inappropriate hospital admissions to the primary and community care initiatives which are reducing inappropriate hospital admissions.

12. Gross/Net Cash Savings

12.1 Please set out the gross recurring saving and any offsetting recurring expenditure.

5m/15m/25m is the planned aggregate saving across all NHS Boards over the three years

12.2 Against what budget does this expenditure and saving fall?

It falls against the Revenue Resource Limit (RRL) allocation to NHS Boards.

12.3 Has this saving been built into your budget?

Yes

12.4 If so, what is the maximum allowable expenditure against the published budget data, in each year, for that saving to be delivered?

It falls against the Revenue Resource Limit (RRL) allocation to NHS Boards.

12.5 If not, how do you propose to invest the additional cash back into public services?N/A

12.6 What plans do you have to exceed the required saving? Explain by how much in each year.

There are no plans to exceed the required saving.

13. Time - release savings

13.1 Please explain any time-releasing savings indicated at question 3 .N/A

13.2 Please describe the method you plan to use to calculate the cash equivalent of those time release savings.N/A

14. Measurement and Monitoring

14.1 How are you proposing to measure the expected efficiency benefits (e.g. in terms of costs, level of output or quality of service)?

As with any new service development there is a requirement to have built in evaluation systems and demonstrate public/user involvement. Health Board areas will also be required to demonstrate any resource shift.

14.2 What monitoring & reporting procedures will be put in place to measure the efficiency savings (How often will progress towards the target be monitored? Who will have lead responsibility for reporting progress and what procedures will be in place?)

NHS Boards will, within their Local Health Plans, monitor the number of hospital admissions and demonstrate how they will achieve the target. This indicator will be monitored through the performance management framework.

14.3 Monitoring Data: Sources, validation and risks

  • What data will be used to measure progress? Is all the required information quantifiable and readily available? If not what action will be taken to rectify this?

  • What measures will be in place to validate the accuracy of the data? Who will take responsibility for this?

  • Are there any issues or risks relating to how you plan to use the data? (e.g. accuracy, difficulties in collection)

    Multiple admissions to hospital will be monitored by ISD using SMR01 discharge forms. The data collection process will be validated using the ISD quality assure systems. Need to ensure ISD has sufficient resources to carry the data collection/analysis.

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Page updated: Thursday, March 31, 2005