Walsall commissioning group to be dissolved

A lack of strategy for learning disability was also discovered in Deloitte's review of Walsall's Joint Commissioning Unit.

The unit was set up between Walsall Council and Walsall Clinical Commissioning Unit to commission health and social care services.

But after the CCG was rated inadequate, it was required to get an independent review of the unit, better care fund and healthcare arrangements.

Walsall CCG has now said it will dissolve the joint commissioning arrangements with Walsall Council.

In minutes on a presentation by the CCG director of safety, quality and governance, Sally Roberts, to its governing body, it said: "Deloitte met with a number of stakeholders and found that there was a lack of strategy and joint commissioning intentions with regards to learning disabilities and mental health services.

"It was unclear that there was a shared position across all staff and spend on learning disabilities and community healthcare arrangements clients does appear to be higher when benchmarked against other comparator organisation.

Deloitte also felt that the CCG interest had not always been met through the joint arrangements in particular around funding decisions."

All 13 staff on the unit will return to the CCG or council.

A Walsall CCG spokesman said: "National benchmark analysis demonstrates Walsall spends higher than average in this area. Local analysis is underway to understand the reasons for this, some historical elements of the old St Margaret’s Hospital provision in Walsall has impacted the number of learning disability clients."

Paula Furnival, executive director for adult social care at Walsall Council said that whilst the joint commissioning unit had been in place for many years, the review presented an opportunity to move to a different model.

She said: “The new model, Place-Based Commissioning will bring social care, NHS and Public Health closer together to determine how we can improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for Walsall adults and children.

"The dissolution of the current arrangements will enable the CCG, council and our other partners to move swiftly to the new model.”

Professor Simon Brake, chief officer for NHS Walsall CCCG said, “The CCG governing body received a report detailing recommendations of a review of our joint commissioning arrangements.

"In consultation with our council colleagues, we are disbanding the current arrangements and are working together with the council on our local place based commissioning arrangements.

"This provides a real opportunity for both organisations to better meet the needs for the people of Walsall.”