Agenda item

Lorraine Goodsell (Transformation Programme Director, NHS Ashford CCG and NHS Canterbury & Coastal CCG) was in attendance for this item.

(1)       The Chairman welcomed Ms Goodsell to the meeting.  Ms Goodsell began by outlining the implementation of Community Networks and the development of a new model of care in line with NHS England’s Five Year Forward View. She explained that three Community Networks in Ashford and five Community Networks in Canterbury and Coastal were established in 2014 through local engagement events. Each network was supported by a stakeholder group which had representatives from general practice, health providers, social care, public health, voluntary sector and patients. The role of the networks was to consider the health needs of the local population and develop key priorities to inform CCG business planning.

(2)       Ms Goodsell noted that mental health services had been identified as a top priority across the networks. The CCGs had been able to use comments and feedback from the networks to revise the local health counselling service specification. The networks had also developed a directory of voluntary services through a portal on the CCGs’ websites. The directories had highlighted the range of voluntary services available to GP and nursing staff. She acknowledged that the networks were a work in progress and part of a three year programme of work.

(3)       Ms Goodsell explained that the networks would contribute to the implementation of new care models as part of the Five Year Forward View. In recognition of the need to manage care more effectively in the local community, GP practices in Whitstable, led by Dr Ribchester, had developed a new model of care - Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP) – to provide community, acute, mental health and paramedic practitioner services as a seven day primary care service. The MCP was announced as one of 29 national vanguards sites in April 2015. This followed a selection process in which 269 sites applied to NHS England’s New Models of Care Team to become a vanguard in three different categories: Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP), Primary and Acute Care Systems (PACS) and Care Home Models. She noted that the MCP was a pilot, in order for it to be successful it would need to demonstrate that it was scalable, efficient and improve quality.

(4)       Members of the Committee then proceeded to ask a number of questions and make a number of comments. A Member enquired about seven day primary care services. Ms Goodsell explained that the MCP was initially being piloted in NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG but reported that GPs in NHS Ashford CCG were watching very closely. She noted that there were a number of challenges in implementing seven day services including workforce availability. She reported that NHS Canterbury & Coastal CCG were initially focused on extending GP services to Saturday mornings only once transformation funding was released. She reported that a seven day GP service had been piloted in both CCGs, they had found that people were not using the service on a Sunday and were presenting to A&E instead.

(5)       In response to a specific question about Education Health and Care (EHC) Plans, Ms Goodsell explained that the CCGs were taking the plans very seriously. She noted that the CCGs’ Chief Nurse was recruiting to the positions of Named Nurse and Doctor. She reported that the CCGs’ had recently brought the commissioning of children’s health services back in house as they had not been happy with the commissioning support provided by the South East Commissioning Support Unit. A Member requested a written briefing from all CCGs on the implementation of Education Health and Care Plans.

 (6)      A number of comments were made about reducing costs and improving quality, sharing best practice with Kent CCGs and outpatient services in Hearne Bay. Ms Goodsell explained that the CCGs were looking to identify duplication of service provision and process map commissioning in order to improve quality and reduce costs. Ms Goodsell reported that the MCP pilot would initially serve a population of 53,000 but could be expanded to 170,000 if every GP practice in the CCG area wanted to become part of the MCP. She highlighted the bimonthly Kent Pioneer meeting between Kent County Council, CCGs and hospital providers and the monthly meeting between the CCGs’ Accountable Officers in which information was shared across the whole health economy. Ms Goodsell stated that the removal of outpatient services from Herne Bay to Faversham was part of a review carried out by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust in which the number of outpatient sites was reduced. She noted that the development of the MCP was part of the new national models of care. The NHS Canterbury & Coastal CCG was looking to develop better community services through the MCP in consultation and engagement with the local community.

(7)       RESOLVED that the report be noted and NHS Ashford CCG & NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG be requested to provide an update to the Committee in six months.