Performance Committee Assurance Report - February 2025
Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting
Date: 12 February 2025
Report Title: Performance Committee Assurance Report
Agenda Item: PUB25/02/5.3
Committee Date: 20 November 2024
Meeting Chair: Julie Thallon, Non-Executive Director / Committee Chair
Meeting Quorate YES
Purpose: Assurance
Recommendation: The Board is asked to receive assurance from the business discussed at the meeting and to review the matters for escalation and referral.
Link to Strategic Objective:
- Be an exceptional place to work, volunteer and learn
- Provide outstanding quality of care and performance
- Be excellent collaborators and innovators as system partners
- Be an environmentally and financially sustainable organisation
Summary of Items Considered at the Meeting:
| Issue | Consideration | Resolution/Outcome | Assurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes of previous meeting | Some actions from the minutes of the last meeting were not listed in the action log. An action was included around the Unscheduled Care Co-ordination Hubs and the staffing model. | Ensure all actions are pulled across. Actions discussed will be minuted for this meeting. Further communications to be sent out to ensure all systems are clear about plans. | N/A |
| Committee IPR and Metrics | First version of new style report. Discussed format alongside number and appropriateness of the metrics. Also, the need for focus with targets, analysis and interpretation to guide the Committee on areas to explore and gain assurance. | Include narrative and executive summary. Further clarity to be factored into next iteration around which metrics to focus on and be guided by operational imperatives and concerns. Business Intelligence team to work with Melissa Dowdeswell, Chief of Clinical Operations, to further develop the report and provide a view of overlaid metrics to enhance the analysis. | Moderate |
| Board Assurance Framework | Discussed in the context of the proposed new draft template. Concerns around the risks in terms of the mitigations and how the actions relate to the reduction in the risk. Any new approach to reporting should better articulate the link between operational performance and the actions being taken to address the risks with timescales for impact. | The risks should be reviewed and brought back to Committee for discussion at the February meeting. These will be reviewed in the context of business planning for next year. There were no proposed changes to current risks or their rating. | Moderate |
| Transformation Programme Group Update | Discussed the need to consolidate the number of programmes and projects across the Trust. There is currently scope for duplication and overlap; clarity is needed. This report is not at the correct level for the Committee; it feels very operationally detailed. | Work is underway to review the totality of the change and development programmes across the Trust. Work to be undertaken to ensure that what is reported to Committee is at the right level for information and action and for onward assurance to the Board. | Moderate |
| Winter Plan | This report was seen at Board recently and was presented for information. An update on Handover 45 was presented to update on progress. | Winter Plan to be updated to reflect Handover 45 and other organisations’ plans, where appropriate. Plans for Handover 45 to go-live on 28 November are maturing and discussions are ongoing with acute partners. Plans are in hand for thorough communication to all staff. Discussed the impact of Handover 45 on response times and the potential to reduce ‘lost’ hours to handover delays which will need to demonstrate an impact on response times. | Moderate |
| Internal audit report – Business Continuity | Internal audit report identified a number of required actions. Discussed the issues associated with accountability and staffing within the team and the governance of business continuity across the Trust. | Business Continuity has moved within the remit of the Performance Committee and this committee will oversee implementation of the audit actions. The committee will look to see regular updates and an annual report; to be scheduled into the Committee forward plan. | Moderate |
| Integration report | The number of volunteers working has again reduced but the impact is increasing, particularly around C1 calls. Dedicated dispatcher trialled for CFRs, and this has been very impactful. | Quarterly updates to be brought to the Committee. The dedicated dispatcher role is not considered to be a permanent solution as a general approach enabling all dispatchers to dispatch all available staff appropriately would be the aim. | Good |
| Non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) | The performance metrics for PTS have not changed significantly in this period. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (C&P) service has now passed to the new provider. South and North-East Essex commissioners have decided to go out to tender for the service in North-east Essex and expect to go-live with a new provider in April 2025. EEAST will not be tendering. | Work continues with commissioners to agree service development for our remaining contracts. Support and communications are underway with the staff working on the NEE contract. | Moderate |
| Sub-group Assurance Reports | As previously discussed at this meeting, this report does not meet the needs of the Committee. The format and content needs reviewing and to determine if all groups are appropriately reporting to the Performance Committee. | A review of all sub-groups is being carried out by the Governance Team but, as the reports to both the Quality Governance and People Committees are helpful and informative, we need to avoid changing just for Performance Committee. | Limited |
Matters for escalation or referral
None
