Archived decisions

DEMOCRATIC SERVICES UNIT, CORPORATE SERVICES Item 9

Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AL

Telephone: (023) 9268 8360 DX Portsmouth 2244

Fax: (023) 9283 4076

Email: [email protected]

Our Ref: 2508/SK/HOSC

Your Ref: 25 August 2004

Mrs Sheila Clark

Chief Executive

Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust

St. James Hospital

Locksway Road

Milton

Portsmouth

PO4 8LD

Dear Mrs Clark

PORTSMOUTH AND SE HAMPSHIRE MATERNITY STRATEGY

Thank-you for your email message dated 3 August 2004 attaching a copy of the Portsmouth and SE Hampshire Maternity Strategy.

As I intimated in my response to your email there are a number of points about which both myself and colleagues at Hampshire County Council would welcome clarification before the formal consultation period commences. I will list these points using numbered paragraphs for ease of reference.

1. It had been previously agreed with representatives of the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust that any proposals for the future provision of maternity services would be deemed to be a substantial variation and as such should be subject to formal public consultation. This will allow all parties who contributed views to the formulation of the proposals, as well as local people, to comment on the final Strategy. Additional information on this process is set out in Section 6 of the DoH's Practice and Guidance on `Strengthening Accountability- Involving Patients and the Public'. Whilst we would welcome the engagement that has taken place with patients and other stakeholders in shaping the Strategy, it is important that an opportunity is provided for all those affected, or likely to be affected by the proposal to be able to contribute to the options for change that now need to be considered.

2. Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny of Health published by the DoH in July 2003 indicates that the NHS must make it clear when the consultation period for a proposal to vary services will end. In light of the additional information that we are requesting we consider that this formal consultation period has not yet started. Our expectation would be, however, that this will meet the minimum 12 weeks as recommended by the Government.

3. The Guidance also indicates that where a proposed change to services spans more than one PCT the PCTs affected will need to agree a process of joint consultation. The board of each PCT will also need to formally delegate responsibility for the consultation process to a joint PCT committee. It would therefore be helpful if you could confirm which of the local NHS bodies will be leading on the consultation process for the Strategy.

4. Prior to the commencement of the consultation period, the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee would find it helpful to have an further information on

· The options that were considered in developing the Strategy and the criteria against which these were assessed

· The options to be presented to local people and other stakeholders, including the preferred option of the PCTs

· Financial information on the anticipated costs of the options to be considered and any supporting business case

· Details of the projected need for maternity provision in South East Hampshire, including population trends

· An assessment of the impact of the preferred option on vulnerable or hard to reach groups

I look forward to receiving this information and details of the consultation process you intend to follow. In the meantime I can confirm that we are working closely with the other Overview and Scrutiny Committees affected by the proposals to establish a joint committee that will be able to respond to the proposal when it is received. This letter has been shared with representatives of Hampshire County Council.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of this letter further please let me know.

Yours sincerely

Saskia Kiernan

Scrutiny Support Manager

Democratic Services