The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to discuss urgent and emergency care services, winter planning, and initiatives to reduce hospital admissions from care homes. The committee will also review its work programme for the upcoming year.

Urgent and Emergency Care Services

A report from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) is scheduled to be presented, outlining the urgent and emergency care (UEC) services available to the public. This discussion is expected to cover the distinctions between emergency care, urgent care, and the specific role of Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs). The report details the designation process for UTCs collocated with Emergency Departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital, County Hospital Stafford, and Queen's Hospital Burton. The report notes that while RSUH and QHB meet all national standards for UTCs, County Hospital, Stafford, has received an exemption from NHS England due to historic issues, specifically regarding its Emergency Department not being 24-hours and not providing paediatric care for minor illnesses. The report also highlights the Think: Right Help, Right Time, First Time campaign, designed to guide individuals to the most appropriate service for their needs.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Cluster Winter Plan 2026/27

The committee is set to review the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SSOT) Cluster Winter Plan for 2026/27. This plan outlines a collective approach to managing winter pressures across health and care organisations, aligning with national and regional expectations from NHS England. The report details system-wide arrangements for urgent and emergency care, patient flow, vaccination delivery, workforce resilience, and winter escalation planning. It emphasizes a collaborative development process involving NHS partners, local authorities, community providers, primary care, and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. The plan incorporates lessons learned from the previous winter and is structured around five phases: Delivery, Reduce Rising Pressure, Recovery, Sustain, and Transition. Key areas of focus include infection prevention and control, vaccination programmes, primary care access, mental health preparedness, and workforce resilience. The report also details risks and mitigation strategies, including bed modelling and specific schemes for both Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW) and SSOT.

Care Home to Emergency Departments Project

A report on the progress of the CARE (Care Home Admissions Reduction and Evaluation) Project is scheduled for discussion. This 12-month pilot aims to reduce avoidable emergency department conveyances and hospital admissions from five nursing homes with high admission volumes to Royal Stoke University Hospital. Phase 1 of the project has been completed, involving a review of over 600 admissions and feedback from more than 100 care home staff. Key findings from Phase 1 indicate that a significant number of admissions occur out of hours and at weekends, with many residents being discharged the following day. Common contributing factors identified include respiratory infections, falls, musculoskeletal conditions, dementia-related issues, and infections, alongside limited access to timely primary and community services within care homes. Phase 2 of the project will focus on improving clinical support, workforce development, and service coordination within the participating homes. The project's evaluation will measure outcomes such as a reduction in emergency admissions and bed days, alongside quality and workforce measures, including staff confidence and training in NEWS2¹.

Work Programme

The committee will also consider an update to its Work Programme for 2026-27. The report outlines the committee's responsibilities, including scrutinising health services across the county and the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board. The current work programme includes plans to consider performance at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust, A&E wait times, and ambulance handover delays. The committee's focus is on tangible outcomes for residents and providing assurance that the health and care system is moving in the right direction.