Issue - meetings

Liz Shutler, Director of Strategic Development, Howard Jones, Director of Facilities, East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, Lynne Selman, Director of Citizen Engagement, Sheila Pitt, Head of Practice-based Commissioning, and David Meikle, Director of Finance, Commissioning and Performance, Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT, will be in attendance for this item.

(Liz Shutler, Director of Strategic Development, Howard Jones, Director of Facilities, East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust; Lynne Selman, Director of Citizen Engagement, Sheila Pitt, Head of Practice-based Commissioning, and David Meikle, Director of Finance, Commissioning and Performance, Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT, were in attendance for this item at the invitation of the Committee.)

1)     The Committee had before it a copy of a letter from the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT, formally referring to the Committee the matter of healthcare services in Dover (dated 5 February 2008), along with a paper, setting out the reasons for referral, that was sent to the PCT (on 20 December 2007) and an annotated version of the paper, containing the PCT’s responses. These papers are attached to these minutes as Appendices 1 and 2.

2)     The Chairman reported that he had received a letter from Gwyn Prosser, the Member of Parliament for Dover and Deal, stating that he would have liked to attend the meeting, but was unable to do so, due to the lack of notice given. Mr Prosser had also gained the impression that he would not have been allowed to speak if he had attended the meeting.

3)     The Chairman said that he wished to apologise to Mr Prosser and emphasised that local Members of Parliament were always welcome to attend and speak at meetings of the Committee. Copies of Mr Prosser’s letter were circulated to Members.

4)     Lorraine Sencicle, formerly a member of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust, addressed the Committee, at the Chairman’s invitation. Ms Sencicle said it had been stated that the basis for the Dover Project was the White Paper Our health, our care, our say. She believed that applying the principles of the White Paper to healthcare services in Dover must mean the establishment of a community hospital in the town – not a cottage hospital or a polyclinic. Funding had been made available for community hospitals, but Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT and East Kent Hospitals Trust had not put in a bid for this.

5)     Ms Sencicle said that Dover was entitled to a community hospital providing: outpatient clinics; diagnostic services; phlebotomy; chemotherapy; physiotherapy; occupational therapy; renal dialysis; podiatry; orthopaedics; a Minor Injuries Unit, open from 6am to 9pm, seven days per week; day surgery; in-patient observation beds; intermediate care beds; end-of-life care; and other services.

6)     Reg Hansell also addressed the Committee at the Chairman’s invitation. He said that Dover lacked hospital services and had poor transport links to other areas where these were being provided. Buckland Hospital was “dying from a thousand cuts”.

7)     Mr Hansell read out a message from Gwyn Prosser MP, supporting enhanced facilities at the Buckland Hospital site. He also read out a message from Charlie Elphicke, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dover and Deal, saying that he fully supported the idea of a community hospital  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19