Minutes:
Hazel Carpenter (Accountable Officer, NHS South Kent Coast CCG and NHS Thanet CCG) and Michael Ridgwell (Programme Director, Kent & Medway Sustainability and Transformation Plan) were in attendance for this item.
(1) The Chairman welcomed the guests to the Committee. Mr Ridgwell began by acknowledging that the draft Kent and Medway Sustainability & Transformation Plan (STP) was published on 23 November which had not given Members long to consider the documents and it was proposed that the item return to the Committee for full consideration in January.
(2) A Member requested that Mr Ridgwell provide an overview of the key service changes set out in the document. Mr Ridgwell explained that the STP was a work in progress and there were no definitive proposals; the STP required a cross organisation approach to resolve the quality, inequality and financial challenges facing the NHS. The emerging four themes from the STP was care transformation by improving prevention, local care, hospital transformation and mental health; productivity through efficiencies in shared services, procurement and prescription; creating enablers for transformation by investing in workforce, digital infrastructure and estates; and system leadership. He reported that the extended Case for Change was due to be published in the New Year along with public and stakeholder engagement.
(3) Ms Carpenter explained that the work carried out previously by the East Kent Strategy Board was part of the STP. There would be a process to set out which areas of work would be achieved on a Kent & Medway wide level and which would be specific to geographic area. She noted that workforce was an area which needed to be considered on a Kent & Medway wide level; as part of the STP it was hoped that that in partnership with the local universities that a medical school could be developed. She stated that in East Kent high level modelling for local care was being developed and she anticipated that there would be a specific consultation in 2017 for East Kent with updates brought back to the Committee.
(4) The Committee then proceeded to ask a number of questions and make a number of comments. A Member enquired about the differences between the published draft STP submission and a summary presentation which had been circulated to the Committee. The Scrutiny Research Officer clarified that the summary presentation had been presented to the South East Regional HOSC Network on 18 November. Mr Ridgwell explained that the STP was a live document and the published draft STP submission was the document submitted to NHS England on 21 October; the summary document was a shortened version of the published draft STP submission which had been condensed for the purpose of the presentation resulting in minor differences between the two papers. Ms Carpenter reported that the STP Programme Board had made the decision to publish the draft STP submission as there was nothing in the document which could prevent it from being published.
(5) In relation to a specific question about the reduction of 300 beds in East Kent, Ms Carpenter explained that as part of developing models of local care, a review of acute services with the hospital trust had identified the potential reduction of 300 beds as part of the model which needed to be discussed and debated with stakeholders including the public and the Committee. Mr Ridgwell stated that the figure of 300 beds had been included in order to be transparent; a range of different methodologies were used which had all identified that approximately 300 beds were being used by patients who no longer required acute care. A bed audit was being carried out to identify bed capacity across the whole of Kent and Medway.
(6) A number of comments were made about the inclusion of the ‘as is’ model in the published draft STP submission and the STP being a work in progress. Ms Carpenter explained that the STP would look and evaluate a range of options including some that are more viable than the others. She stated that the ‘as if’ model was not likely to come as viable option due to the challenges which will be set out in the Case for Change. Mr Ridgwell explained that there would be ongoing dialogue with the Committee as the STP progressed. He noted that the STP acknowledged those there were significant challenges including demographic growth and these would be detailed further as part of the published Case for Change.
(7) Members requested a briefing for all KCC Members, Borough and District Councils.
(8) RESOLVED that the Committee note the publication of the draft Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Plan and request that an update to the Committee be presented in January to enable full consideration of the draft Plan.