Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

PART II

    INQUIRIES RECEIVED AND ACTION TAKEN

    1. The Committee continues to receive inquiries from partner organisations and County Councillors. At the last meeting Members were alerted to inquiries about:

    South Central Ambulance Trust - Road Closures

    The South Central Ambulance Trust reported that the Trust now receives regular updates on highway work in the South Central Area which are given to the ambulance control centres to enable them to re-route ambulances. They are in the process of changing all radio communications and satellite navigations so that they are standardised across the region so as to enable faster responses. With regard to satellite navigations they are investigating the use of a system that would highlight width and height restrictions which would also assist in faster responses.

Southeast Hampshire Capacity Plan

    NHS Hampshire, gave the Committee details of the problems it is facing and gave an update on the delivery of the Southeast Capacity Plan. In the last few months the NHS had been advised by the Department of Health to expect only a limited growth in its budget over the next two to three years. In real terms, this may mean a reduction in resources given that inflation (driven by an ageing population in Hampshire, combined with the cost of new technologies and treatments) tend to be higher for the NHS and bite more deeply into its finances. The Hampshire NHS's response to this challenge is already being developed, and would include:

        · ensuring every possible efficiency and cost control is exercised in back office and procurement functions;

        · redesigning pathways of care to deliver quality improvement and increased sustainability;

        · working with local people to determine the priorities for future service provision and determining which treatments or services may be of a lower priority;

      Like many public and private sector organisations, NHS Hampshire will also need to review all of the developments that it has commissioned in a time of relative growth to test their affordability in the light of the significantly changed financial environment. This is the only responsible action that NHS Hampshire can take as a publically funded authority. With this in mind it had commenced a rapid appraisal of significant investment proposals across the whole of Hampshire, and taken steps to ensure that it did not incur any unnecessary development costs in the months of June and July. It is proposed that an update on this work would be presented to the Board of NHS Hampshire in September 2009. The rapid appraisal process will consider each significant planned development against five key questions in order to determine whether it should continue unchecked, or whether it needed to do more work in partnership with local people to ensure it could deliver a sustainable model of care. The Committee was updated on the current position with Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, St. Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, Fareham Community Hospital, Gosport War Memorial Hospital and Oak Park Community Hospital, Havant. Members expressed concerns and said that the residents of Southeast Hampshire were worried about the future of community services after repeated assurances that the planned community hospitals were affordable and necessary. Members were of the view that changes to proposals already agreed may constitute a substantial change to services.

      Access to Therapy Services for Children with Disabilities and Complex Care Needs

      Arrangements are in process for the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Children and Young People Select Committee to carry out a joint review of Access to Therapy Services for Children with Disabilities and Complex Care Needs.

      Ambulance Response Times in Rural Areas

      Arrangements are in place for Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire to establish a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to look an Ambulance Response times in rural areas.

      Treatment of Heart Attacks

      The Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Health Scrutiny Joint Committee was alerted to some potential changes to the treatment of heart attacks. This is an issue that would affect all the population across the south central area and the consensus was that this would constitute a substantial variation in these services. As such the Joint Committee is required to look at forming a formal joint committee to consider these proposals. Papers outlining the options being considered by the Primary Care Trusts and it is anticipated that the formal public consultation will take place early in the New Year.

    2. The responses made by the Committee influence and improve the delivery of health services in Hampshire and, in doing so, support the Corporate Strategy aim of maximising well being.

    3. This report arises from consideration of the report by the Committee on 28 July 2009 which is on Hantsweb at:

    /decisions/decisions-docs/090728-hovasc-R0724074444

    FLUORIDATION OF WATER SUPPLIES IN SOUTHAMPTON AND SOUTHWEST HAMPSHIRE

    1. Following the last meeting of the County Council work is underway on the implications and costs of the proposed referendum on the South Central Strategic Health Authority's proposals to fluoridate water in Southampton and parts of southwest Hampshire. However the decision by the courts as to whether the judicial review challenge to South Central Strategic Health Authority proposals is pending. If necessary this work will be concluded once the court's decision has been made.

    OUT OF HOURS AND UNSCHEDULED CARE

    1. NHS Hampshire gave a presentation To the Committee on the Out of Hours and Unscheduled Care services in Hampshire. Out of hours services are:

        _ Primary care services for urgent problems when GP surgeries closed

        _ Weekdays 6.30pm to 8 am, weekends and bank holidays

      There are four service providers in Hampshire: North Hampshire Urgent Care, a community benefit society with GP members; Thamesdoc, a limited company, formerly a GP co-operative, based in Surrey; Southampton City Primary Care Trust and Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust with each provider covering a geographical area. The services provided include:

        _ Telephone answering

        _ Diversion to Ambulance service for critical conditions

        _ Assessment of the problem by a clinician ( GP or nurse)

        _ Advice on management of less serious problems

        _ Face to face consultation for problems needing attention before the patient's GP is open again

        _ A home visit where the clinical condition warranted it.

      Details were given of primary care centres where patients could see GPs out of hours and the standard of services that could be expected.

      Questions were asked about how telephone triage was quality assured and Members were assured that complaints were monitored and Accident and Emergency Services and local GPs fed back any problems. Members requested further information on the cost of the service, the number of calls received, bench marking and out of hours dentistry services and it was agreed that this should be reported to a future meeting of the Committee.

              ANNA McNAIR SCOTT

              Chairman.