Agenda and draft minutes

Membership of the Committee was noted.

1)    Ms Marsh nominated Mr Sweetland. He was seconded by Cllr Hunt. There were no further nominations.

2)    RESOLVED that Mr Sweetland be elected Chair of the Bexley and Kent Urgent Care Review Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

1)    Mr Sweetland nominated Cllr Hunt. He was seconded by Ms Marsh. There were no further nominations.

2)    RESOLVED that Cllr Hunt be elected Vice-Chair of the Bexley and Kent Urgent Care Review Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Hunt declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest as his wife was employed by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.

RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference for the Committee be noted.

In attendance for this item: Gerrie Adler (Director of Strategic Transformation), Dr Sarah MacDermott (Clinical Chair), Gail Arnold (Deputy Managing Director), Angela Basoah (Head of Communications and Engagement), Dr Nigel Sewell (Clinical Lead for Urgent Care) from NHS Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG

1)    Dr MacDermott and Ms Adler introduced the item, highlighting the positive response to the 12-week consultation period held in 2019.

2)    The consultation demonstrated overwhelming support for Option 1 – an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Gravesham Community Hospital.

3)    Four key themes emerged from the consultation:

a.    Proximity to the service

b.    Traffic

c.    Public Transport

d.    Parking

4)    Following in-depth analysis, the CCG determined that a single site solution was unlikely to address public concern and meet the needs of residents. The CCG’s Decision Making Business Case (DMBC) therefore recommended a networked urgent care services model with two linked Urgent Treatment Centres, one at Gravesham Community Hospital and one co-located at Darent Valley Hospital. 

5)    The benefits of the recommended model included:

a.    Delivery of urgent care services in a town centre location with good transport links;

b.    A UTC co-located with an A&E Department would offer local residents benefit and avoid additional footfall.

6)    Both UTCs would be closely integrated with the GP Out of Hours Service and accompanied by a robust communication plan to ensure residents understood how best to access services. There would be a phased approach to implementation.

7)    The CCG Governing Body meeting was held on 16 January 2020 and they agreed the mitigated model of care.

8)    Members supported the development of a communication plan, which would clearly set out how to navigate the various NHS services. Particular attention would first be paid to those accessing the soon to close White Horse walk-in centre, so they understood where they needed to go.

9)    The importance of primary care and GP surgeries was discussed. Ms Arnold spoke of the importance of all residents registering with a GP, and not relying on secondary care services for illnesses which should be addressed by their primary care provider. The CCG were looking into options for enhancing access to primary care services, such as extending hours, to match the accessibility of the walk-in centre.

10)The proposed mitigation model was estimated to cost £85m compared to the projected cost of the current urgent care service provision of £84m. This excluded the potential impact of void estate charges at Fleet Health Campus.

11)Members questioned the potential gap in provision whilst providers and contracts were arranged. Ms Arnold explained that nothing had been agreed at that time, because the Governing Body decision had only recently been made. The CCG would commence discussions with current providers imminently, looking into options for extending contracts or going out to tender.

12)A Bexley councillor described how Darent Valley Hospital was the local hospital for many Bexley residents, and whilst they may reside in Bexley, there was no physical border to separate them.

13)Steve Inett from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.