Skip to main content

Performance and safety committee assurance report

Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting

Date: 08.05.2024

Report Title: Performance and Safety Committee Assurance Report

Agenda Item: PUB24/05/3.5

Committee date: 24.04.2024

Meeting chair: Julie Thallon – Non-Executive Director and Committee Chair

Meeting quorate: YES

Purpose: Assurance

Link to strategic objective(s):

  • Provide outstanding quality of care and performance
  • Be excellent collaborators and innovators as system partners

Recommendation The Board is asked to receive assurance from the business discussed at the meeting and to review the matters for escalation and referral

Summary of Items Considered at the Meeting

Opening remarks

  • Consideration: As the inaugural meeting of the Performance and Safety Committee, context and concerns were discussed in relation to this Committee fulfilling its terms of reference and its relationship to other Committees.
  • Resolution/Outcome: Agreed principles of how to operate. Agreed to complete a cycle of the new Committees and then review to ensure cohesion of governance and assurance.
  • Assurance:

Review of Winter

  • Consideration: The initial review feedback on performance during Winter.
  • Resolution/Outcome: Overall, the Trust managed well within the pressure and constraints across the region. Mild weather also helped. The combination of factors saw a lower level of harm. The full report will be taken to Public Board in May and the follow up report and action plan with go to the next P&S Committee for discussion. Planning for Winter 2024/25 to start shortly.
  • Assurance: Good

Analysis of activity and performance incl. OPIP

  • Consideration: Main points discussed:
    • EOC improving although staffing an issue – leavers are moving through to other roles in EEAST but training lag for new staff impacts performance.
    • Drop in C1 recently – significant dip in PFSH and loss of PAS provider.
    • Ongoing concerns about the N&W system in particular.
  • Resolution/Outcome: Good understanding of causes and therefore appropriate plans to address - continued oversight in place and implementation on the OPIP.
    Compliance with the Manchester Arena report still needs further guidance from national/regional discussions. In the context of the new committee everyone asked to consider this report in terms of its format and content and whether it fulfils the assurance brief the committee needs. Also, to consider any further analysis that could be helpfully included.
  • Assurance: Moderate

Patient safety and outcome data

  • Consideration: First report of its type which was presented as a proposal for comment and further development in terms of meeting the needs of the committee.
  • Resolution/Outcome: As this report had already been to the last Quality Governance Committee it wasn’t discussed in detail. Further work to be concluded on the appropriate metrics for P&S, the format of the report and how to ensure triangulation across performance and outcomes to ensure the report is meaningful. A further iteration of a proposed format to be shared with the committee Chair for consideration prior to the next P&S Committee meeting.
  • Assurance: Limited

Transformation Programme Group Update

  • Consideration: Discussed the paper as presented.
  • Resolution/Outcome: Advised delivering well against plans although change has reached a plateau now. There is significant work ongoing around data and how this is presented and can be used for triangulation in support of the connected planning work. This will be kick-started by the revised and refreshed OPIP which is being presented to Board in May.
  • Assurance: Moderate

Integration update

  • Consideration: Discussed
  • Resolution/Outcome: Ensure discussions regarding PTS internally and externally correlate in terms of expectations and ambition. Paper to come to the September meeting of the P&S Committee regarding contract ends in March 2025 and plans beyond that. Proposal from the P&S Committee to then be taken to the Trust Board for consideration. Agreed that future reports on integration should include the strategic partnership updates. Also commercial activity and private providers will be part of this Committee’s remit.
  • Assurance: Good

Board Assurance Framework

  • Consideration: SR2&3 relate to the new Committee.
  • Resolution/Outcome: The details in the report have not been updated since the Board workshop in December and so the new version will come to the next meeting. Acknowledged that this version is now out of date. We need to align the papers to the risk register and be more cognisant of the link between mitigations offered and performance and safety improvement.
  • Assurance: Moderate

Sub-group assurance reports

  • Consideration: The report included updates from just two of the Committee sub-groups due to timings of meetings.
  • Resolution/Outcome: The structure of the report did not provide the detail the committee needs to gain assurance. The terms of reference will be shared with the Committee Chair for review who will also share with the governance team a proposed template for the group feedback. Improved understanding of the groups and an improved method of feedback should provide improved assurance. Look to align the sub-group meeting dates to the P&S Committee dates to ensure the most up-to-date position can be reported.
  • Assurance: Limited

Matters for escalation or referral

PAS

  • To: ELT
  • Reason: To confirm the governance for the management of the PAS performance and quality as well as the contracts themselves.

Committee business

  • To: Chair of the Quality Governance Committee and Director of Governance. NEDs.
  • Reason: To ensure the business aligns between Committees and there is no overlap or gaps.

Trust board

East of England Ambulance Service image above the footer