Dear Health and Social Care Board for Northern Ireland,

Please note the following 2 extracts from HSCB Board Meeting minutes on 14th March 2019. These comments relate specifically to the financial difficulties being encountered within the WHSCT and the previous refusal of the HSCB Board to approve WHSCT Trust Delivery Plan for 2018/19.

EXTRACT#1:

20/19 STANDING ITEM:
FINANCE: HSCB FINANCE REPORT ENDING JANUARY 2019 (MONTH `0);
TRUSTS’ FINANCIAL REPORT ENDING DECEMBER 2018 (MONTH 9)
Mr Cummings said that it was likely that external audit would make reference to the fact that the Board accounts were showing a surplus which was well outside the statutory requirement of 0.25%.

EXTRACT#2:

21/19 STANDING ITEM:
HSCB PERFORMANCE REPORT ENDING JANUARY 2019 (MONTH 10)
However, he (Mr Cummings) pointed out that the Trust had been spending in excess of its capitation share over a number of years and, as a result, was now a significant distance away from the 2.5± margin allowed in terms of expenditure.

Information received under FOI 755 17 informs the questions in this FOI and link is included for ease of processing:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sX-Q0F...

This FOI request relates to the 2 agenda items referred to above:

[1] The HSCB is required by the DoH to provide an annual assessment of variances in planned spend of HSC resources by LCG from capitation fair shares. This is known as the ‘equity analysis’ or the ‘equity review’. Can this Equity Analysis for the last 5 years be provided as part of this FOI?
This should also include breakdown as per Slide#12 in attached previous FOI.

[2] Can the up-to-date capitation rates be provided? This should be in the format given under previous FOI 755 17 with breakdown for each LCG by:
- Crude Population
- Share % Based on Crude Population
- Share based on Age-Sex-Need-EoS Rurality

[3] Can you separately indicate the additional cost adjustments made within the Capitation Rates for all LCG areas for the following:
- Rurality
- Economies of Scale

[4] Can any changes to Capitation Rates over the last 5 years be included?

[5] Previous FOI 755 17 indicated (in Slide #13) a breakdown of variance to capitation at Programme of Care level for 2015/16. Can an update to this be provided for WHSCT for the subsequent years – up to and including 2018/19?

[6] Can you confirm what are the processes that derive for ALBs that exceed the equity analysis threshold of 2.5±?

[7] Can you attach any formal communications between the WHSCT and HSCB relating to the threshold not being met and associated remediations that may be required?

Yours faithfully,

Jimmy Hamill

Dear Peter Moran,

Thank you for the comments on 5th August.
I will follow up with DoH for items# 2,3,and 4.

I still look forward to your replies on the other items in this request

Yours sincerely,

Jimmy Hamill