£3.2m funding boost for Sandwell winter healthcare

Andy Williams, accountable officer for the group, which is responsible for buying healthcare services for more than 525,000 people, revealed that NHS England had announced the funding.

Bosses will now draw up plans over the next couple of months on how the cash will be spent and say extra hospital staff, beds and community care packages would be considered.

At a meeting of the governing body, members were also told that the 95 per cent Government target for seeing A&E patients within four hours was not met in May by the Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

It fell short at 94.5 per cent - compared to reaching 96 per cent in April - with a 34 per cent consultant vacancy rate in emergency medicine and insufficient cover marked up as one of the problems.

The number of A&E patients not seen within four hours stood at 309 in the last week in May, compared to 138 in the last week of April.

Mr Williams said receiving the funding news early this year would help Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG plan ahead and make sure measures were put in place before the busy winter period.

He said: "It's an injection of cash to help us cope with urgent care pressures.

"We are usually not told about the funding this early on in the year but it will help us put in place a whole bunch of things.

"We had a similar investment programme last year. Typically what we look to try and do is a combination of things that will try and take pressure off.

"We will normally have a plan to build up capacity. It could involve extra beds and staff, helping people being discharged from hospital.

"Over the next couple of months we will finalise our plans and start to put things in place."

A report to the governing body of the CCG, said: "The CCG has received notification of the winter funds allocation for 2014/15 and the governing body are asked to note that the sum of £3.2 million is being made available to the local health and social care economy.

"Partners have already been asked to consider what measures can be taken to support the wider system during the winter months and now that the amount of investment available has been clarified the CCG can lead early planning for winter to ensure efficiency of investment and resilience of the urgent care system

"The UCNB will oversee the commitment of these funds and the winter panel will be reconvened to examine each proposal and assess impact and value for money."

Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG was set up in April last year.