Doubt over future of five Derbyshire centres supporting people with learning disabilities

There are five learning disability short break centres in Derbyshire, all of which are in the northern half of the county, currently supporting 60 to 70 families in need of high levels of care.

The NHS runs these facilities in Buxton, Chesterfield, Darley Dale, Eckington and Shirebrook with residential support led by nurses.

Three of these centres have already been temporarily closed, with the Eckington facility known as Amberley and Chesterfield facility known as Valley View closed because there were not enough staff “to give a safe service”; and the Buxton facility known as Robertson Road closed because it could not be made Covid-secure.

A report on plans for the five centres mentions that the Buxton facility is set to reopen.

This report was discussed in a Derbyshire County Council meeting on Monday (May 15) and councillors were keen to find out how often the centres were used and what was the demonstrated demand or need for them.

Officials from Derbyshire’s NHS said the facilities were now used by 60 to 70 families but use was decreasing significantly with occupancy currently at 17 per cent, around 900 bed days a year, and the services are costing £1.4 million – a set rate regardless of people using the services. In 2018 there had been an occupancy rate of 43 per cent, they said. They said some families had stopped using the facilities, while others only used them one or two times a year.

Meanwhile, officials shared that most of the families who currently use the facilities would no longer be eligible under the new Health and Care Act 2022.

They have already concluded that: “As currently commissioned and delivered, Joined Up Care Derbyshire NHS learning disability short breaks services do not represent fair and consistent use of NHS funding. Benefit is not at population level and does not represent good value for money for the integrated care system.”

However, they say the shore break services can continue to play a role in providing support, but this should be through provision closer to home in most circumstances.

Mick Burrows, director of commissioning for mental health, learning disabilities, autism, and children and young people at the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, said there was currently a clear “inequity of access” to the centres, with none in the southern half of the county.

He said NHS services needed to demonstrate fair access and value for money.

Mr Burrows said: “The vast majority of families do not require nurse-led services and do not meet the eligibility for NHS to be funding short breaks.”

James Lewis, head of joint strategic commissioning for learning disabilities and autism at the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, said the services were “significantly more costly than the private sector or county council”.

He based this assessment on the current cost per person using the service on reduced numbers, at £6,629 per week, making it appear 10 times more expensive per person than the private and voluntary and independent sector (£632-£655 per week) and five times more than the county council (£1,384 per week).

Councillors queried the £6,629 figure and felt this was an inaccurate and “dangerous” form of assessment