Agenda item

Ivor Duffy (Director of Assurance and Delivery, NHS England – South East) and Jon Amos (Head of Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery, Kent and Medway STP) were in attendance for this item.

(1)          The Chair welcomed the guests to the Committee.  Mr Amos introduced the item and informed the committee that the report highlighted that there was an STP wide footprint approach focussing on effective resourcing of planning, reporting, escalation and communications.  Mr Duffy said that there was a significant joint communications strategy on flu vaccinations with the expectation that this would see extended access across GPs and Pharmacies co-ordinated across Kent and Medway.  Mr Amos informed the committee that within the next 30 days the real focus was on bringing together good practice across Kent and Medway to make the best use of resources and that ongoing work was taking place with health and social care colleagues on health funded long-term hospital placement efficiency.

(2)          A Member asked about the recently announced NHS England funding for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, the delivery of this and if any funding had been secured for West Kent.  Mr Duffy said that this was for resuscitation capacity and observation bays on both sites, with the expectation for these to be open in January 2019.  In relation to West Kent, Mr Duffy confirmed that they do not have the same issues as East Kent and the investment was most important for the east of the County.

(3)          Members enquired about access to GPs and communications.  Mr Duffy said that practice staff and other healthcare workers involved in primary care would be collaborating to meet longer hours, including weekends. Advertising and linking in with the NHS 111 and other services would assist in meeting this capacity all through the winter period. 

(4)          The Chair pursued this point further, stating that she welcomed the communications plan but emphasised a need for increased activity to meet the desired impact on A&E attendance, highlighting bookable appointment utilisation.  Mr Inett concurred that Trust and Community Health magazines were not always the best source for communicating key messages and a letter or an email would be effective in identifying service access. He commented further that few practices offered this. 

(5)          The Chair asked about uptake of flu vaccinations by health staff and the availability of vaccines for the general population.  Mr Duffy said that there was no mandate to make staff have a flu vaccination but innovative ways of encouraging staff to increase uptake had been used in the past and could be used again.  He continued that notices have been sent to GPs and pharmacies on vaccines and work was taking place on following this up.

(6)          RESOLVED that:

(a)  the report be noted;

(b)  notification be circulated to the committee that testing has proved satisfactory towards end of October/beginning of November;

(c)  NHS England and the Kent and Medway STP be requested to provide an update about the performance of the winter plans to the Committee in June.