Meeting documents

To consider a report by the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Public Health.

Consideration of a joint report by the Chief Financial Officer and the Director of Public Health showed that the draft Revenue Budget for Public Health Dorset for 2017/18 was £28.512m, based upon an indicative Grant allocation of £34.288. How this was being allocated and to what services it would be applied was explained. How the budget was set and what it was designed to achieve was explained and how reserves were proposed to be used understood. The forecast outturn for 2017/18 indicating that the Public Health budget would be underspent by £1.2m. The Board were being asked to agree how this underspend should be distributed, based on the usual formula applied between the three authorities. Every effort was being made to use the available money as efficiently as it could be. In addition, indicative budget estimates and potential savings were outlined for the years 2018/19 and 2019/20.

What progress was being made on commissioning services was provided and the effect this would have on the ability for the necessary services to continue to be provided. Procurement of the drugs and alcohol service had now been completed, with changes being made meaning that the Service could continue to be delivered in the most effective way that it could be. 

How the Sexual Health Services were being procured was explained, with the mechanism for doing this outlined. The way this was being done meant that it was no need for a formal tendering procedure as there was no meaningful benefit in doing this. The option considered to be in the best interests of maintaining the delivery of the service was by way of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dorset Health Care, the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Dorset County Hospital NHS Trusts.  Agreement on clear objectives and outcomes; the establishment of a lead provider and a commitment to service improvement and changes would ensure that services were able to be delivered in a sustainable way. Significant progress had been made with this, with a VEAT notice ensuring that the process was legally compliant and could be practicably applied. The Director was confident the arrangements could be finalised in the near future.

Significant progress was also being made in how health improvements and health checks were being made. In targeting those who would benefit most from this interaction would achieve more purposeful outcomes and reach those in most need.

In response to the practicalities of how early intervention 0-19 was being implemented, the Board were assured that all three authorities Children's Services’ were actively involved in this process, with all three Directors for Children's Services collaborating on this.

An update was provided on what progress was being made in providing a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation centre for Weymouth - the Weymouth Hub - and what was still necessary for this to be done. The Board recognised that it was in the interests of all that a solution could be found as soon as practicable that was both acceptable and achievable.  

Resolved

1)    That the update on business plan developments and use of reserves be noted;

2)    that the distribution of the anticipated £1.2m underspend in 2017/18 as per usual formula to each of the three local authorities at year end; and

3)    that the preliminary indicative forecasts for 2018/19 and 2019/20 be noted.

Reason for Decision