Proposed Pooled Fund relating to COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has put in place arrangements to ensure that sufficient NHS hospital beds are available to deal with patients who have COVID-19 symptoms. The government is providing funds to enable the NHS to fully fund the cost of new or extended out-of-hospital health and social care support packages for people who are being discharged from hospital or who would otherwise be admitted to hospital.

This is to enable quick and safe discharge of medically fit patients from hospital and, more generally, reduce pressure on acute services.  These arrangements from 19th March 2020, until the government determines that the arrangements will cease.
Under Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006, CCGs and local authorities can enter into partnership agreements that allow for local government to perform health related functions where this will likely lead to an improvement in the way these functions are discharged.
North Tyneside Council and NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group propose to use these Section 75 powers to create a Pooled Fund to facilitate the operation of these arrangements. Having this agreement will ensure that the CCG and Council have effective systems in place to commission packages of care, monitor arrangements made for individual people and ensure that we can properly account for the funding being spent on the out of hospital health and social care support.

Following the closing date, the responses will be considered by the Better Care Fund Partnership Board, which includes representatives of North Tyneside Council and NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group.