Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of 25 March 2011 are recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)       In response to questions from Members, clarification was provided that Borough/District representatives on the Committee would have an equal right and opportunity to participate and lead any of the proposed groups.

(2)       Members expressed the views that it was important to try new ways of working in order to add value and that flexibility was important given the varied progress localism was making in different areas.

(3)       RESOLVED that authority be delegated to the Head of Democratic Services in consultation with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Group Spokespersons, to establish informal HOSC Liaison Groups where a Member of the Committee wishes to lead one, or establish a time-limited Task and Finish Group where this is the more appropriate way of dealing with a specific issue.

Susan Acott (Chief Executive, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust), Stuart Bain (Chief Executive, East Kent Hospitals NHS University Foundation Trust), Colin Gentile (Interim Director of Finance, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust) and Patrick Johnson (Director of Operations/Deputy Chief Executive, Medway NHS Foundation Trust) were in attendance for this item.

(1)       The Chairman thanked the representatives of the Acute Sector in Kent and Medway for attending and asked if they were each willing to provide a short overview of the subject from the perspective of their respective organisations.

(2)       The position of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust needed to be seen in the context of its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme which added complexity to the financial challenge. Broadly, the challenges fell into four areas. The first was the requirements of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) challenge which meant £6 million worth of efficiency saving were needed within this financial year. Secondly, there were the actions of the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) intending to spend less on acute care and decommissioning certain services which equated to £25 million less income for Dartford and Gravesham over the next four years. Thirdly, the NHS Operating Framework for the current year meant that Acute Trusts would be receiving less for what they did do. Fourthly, there was a limit on what efficiencies could be achieved as things stood, so a partnership with Medway NHS Foundation Trust was being explored. The temporary closure of accident and emergency and maternity services at Queen Mary’s Sidcup did add work pressures on the Trust but also added income. Among other developments at the Trust was repatriating services to Kent, normally accessible only in London, like a number of cardiology services.

(3)       Medway NHS Foundation Trust echoed the interest in a partnership between it and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, though this was a change from the view a year ago. However, the proviso was made that while a merger would save money, particularly in back office costs, it would not completely offset the financial pressures. Medway NHS Foundation Trust had to make 7% efficiency savings. This was challenging, but the national decision for no pay inflation helped produce a seven figure saving. Reducing the number of bed days at the hospital was a key driver for the current year with different initiatives being pursued to realise this, such as nurses being able to discharge patients and providing the capacity to care for twenty patients in their own homes; the latter policy was going to expand to cover Swale and non-medical patients, neither of which were included in the scheme at present. Following questions from Members, further detail was provided on the scheme for allowing nurses to discharge patients which was due to be implemented in a month’s time. It was explained that there was not the capacity at the Trust to enable patients to be seen by consultants each day, but if the requirements set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.