Bromley was announced winner of the ‘Health and Care Integration Award’ at the finals of the prestigious MJ Achievement Awards on Friday 17 September 2021.
Two health and care initiatives developed in Bromley received national recognition in the awards: the improved way residents leave hospital and receive the help they need to recover; and the wide-ranging support given to the borough’s care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Councillor Diane Smith, Executive Member for Adult Care and Health said: “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted in equal measure that Bromley’s partnership work locally has been recognised by this award.
“It is testimony to the amazing staff that we have working within the Council and with our health partners and the voluntary sector, recognising the collaborative way in which we have been working together in recent times. It reinforces our determination to continue to work even more closely moving to the future, in everyone’s best interest.
“By establishing a single point of contact hosted by Bromley Healthcare (SPA) as we have, residents are able to leave the Princess Royal University hospital, and other hospitals in South East London, sooner with the appropriate care in place, which is much better for their recovery.”
“Secondly, during the pandemic an integrated support programme was quickly offered to all Bromley care homes, supported by testing, PPE, and the timely distribution of central government grants.”
Dr Angela Bhan, Place Based Director for Bromley and Consultant in Public Health said: “This is a wonderful example of how working together across health, care and the voluntary sector can improve the experiences of those being discharged and ensure they get the right care at the right time from the right place.
“The Bromley SPA brings together arrangements for discharging our most vulnerable residents from hospital. A multi-disciplinary team considers the health and care needs of each individual to help them fully recover and regain their independence.”
Patients recover better and faster if their stay in hospital is kept to a minimum. The One Bromley partnership, which includes health and care service providers as well as the voluntary sector has collaborated to improve the way vulnerable, but medically fit, patients leave hospital and are supported. A ‘single point of access for discharge’ (SPA) was established to bring together services which previously operated in isolation. This helped cut the time taken to provide appropriate care packages for those who needed them. Beds were freed up and up to £4 million of resources released for other uses for patient care. Also, up to 50 per cent reduction month on month was seen in the number of people being re-admitted to hospital.
The second project highlighted provided the best possible care and support to Bromley’s 53 care homes throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with the borough having one of the largest populations of older residents in London. The ‘integrated care home support programme’ saw a multi-agency professional network provide proactive and reactive support to prevent the spread and impact of the virus in care homes, provide additional training for staff in infection control and deliver additional personal protective equipment.
The One Bromley place based integrated care system, brings together the Council, local NHS health providers, commissioners and the voluntary sector to formally collaborate to deliver better care and ensure more effective and joined up services for Bromley residents. It is part of the wider South East London Integrated Care System.