Bristol Health Partners membership and funding in 2017-18 – an update from David Relph

As many of you will know we have been working to
confirm the scope and shape of the partnership as we move into the next
financial year. With many of our partner organisations experiencing fresh
financial constraints in the coming year, this has inevitably led to a
reduction in the Bristol Health Partners budget for the financial year 2017-18.

Despite enthusiasm for the partnership and the work of
our Health Integration Teams (HITs), as part of this discussion, some partners have
confirmed that they are no longer able to make a financial contribution to the
partnership.

This applies to local Clinical Commissioning Groups
(CCGs), who in the past have made a joint payment equating to two thirds of a single
membership, and to the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP).

We value the continued involvement of our local
commissioners and mental health colleagues, especially within the HITs, and
will be working with them to clarify what this involvement looks like in
practice.

The remaining full members, University Hospitals
Bristol, North Bristol Trust, Bristol City Council, University of Bristol and
University of the West of England, are reducing their overall contribution by
10 per cent.

This inevitably results in a reduction in the overall
Bristol Health Partners budget, which means we are reviewing our spending in
all areas, including the core team.

Sadly this means we aren’t able to renew the contract
of our Patient and Public Involvement Facilitator, Mike Bell, who has supported
the HITs with his very valuable expertise. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank Mike for his hard work and major contribution to the
partnership. The HITs have benefited from his enthusiasm and passion, and
several projects, such as the Young Persons Advisory Group, simply wouldn’t
have happened without him. How we can build on his valuable contribution is
being discussed by the core team, the Executive Group and people in Health West
of England.

This situation, though far from ideal, is, however, an
opportunity to renew our focus on the HITs. We must ensure that the funding
they receive is focused where it’s most needed. We are also accelerating
certain HIT workstreams that fit with and support the local Sustainability
Transformation Plan (STP). We look forward to sharing these with you soon.

If you work closely with Bristol Health Partners, for
example if you’re involved in a Health Integration Team, then I’d like to thank
you for your patience during this period of upheaval and uncertainty. We will
update you as our plans develop, and look forward to seeing many of you at the
HIT Conference in June.

I’m sure we will see Bristol Health Partners emerge,
leaner but stronger and with renewed vigour, as a result of this time of
change.