Agenda item

Karen Sharp, Programme Director, East Kent Health and Care Partnership, Phil Griffiths, Director of Stakes Optimisation, KCHFT and Nicky Bentley, Director of Strategy and Business Development, East Kent Hospitals were in attendance for this item.

1.    Karen Sharp, Programme Director East Kent Health and Care Partnership, provided an overview of the proposals for the Thanet Integrated Care Hub.

2.    There were no significant updates to the report since the date of publishing.

3.    In response to comments and questions it was said:

a.    A Member questioned whether there was adequate onsite car parking available. Mr Griffith shared that the change of use application contained detail of car parking provision. The national database TRICS provided transport metrics and had shown car parking onsite was adequate. Additional nearby options were available.

b.    When asked what measures would be taken to ensure the Care Hub was adequately resourced with qualified staff and that its services would be available to the public at least 5 days a week, Ms Sharp shared that as onsite services became more integrated, Health and Care Partnership (HCP) would assess how productivity could be improved. There were benefits to co-locating services and the opportunity to share receptions and IT systems would be looked into. There had been work carried out to establish an academy for staff, along with internal training programmes that would assist with local recruitment.

c.     Recognising the challenges of staff recruitment and retention, East Kent Colleges was setting targets for the number of students it trained for working in health and care sectors.

d.    A Councillor asked for further clarity on the same day access model and the scope of the catchment area. Ms Sharp assured Members that the service was available for all Thanet residents, and ease of access had been considered. The service was within walking distance of the Westwood Cross shopping centre which had bus services and opportunities to expand those services was being looked into.

e.    A Member contested the viability of the walking distance between the hub and the shopping centre, as well as the GP surgery relocation. Ms Sharp shared that the surgery was moving just 0.75 miles. She accepted there were concerns about access and welcomed meeting Thanet councillors on site to discuss. She explained that there were requirements for where diagnostic services had to be located and this had influenced their decision.

f.      A Member questioned whether developer contributions had been secured. Mr Griffiths shared that a number of discussions had taken place with the local authority about developer contributions. Reviews were held every 2 months to ensure the health community was benefiting from that funding source.

g.    When asked about the timescale of the consultation, Ms Sharp said that local engagement sessions were to take place in early 2025, these would be online and face-to-face sessions. The Chair requested that Members have the opportunity to attend these events. Feedback from the events would be included in future reports.

4.    The Chair proposed that the proposals relating to the Thanet Integrated Care Hub were deemed as substantial for the following reasons:

i.               The Hub represented an important new way of working.

ii.              it was hoped the Hub would be an exemplar piece of learning.

iii.             Important issues relating to workforce had been discussed.

5.    The Committee viewed the proposals as an opportunity and the declaration of a substantial variation was not to be seen as a threat to that work. There was concern about what impact the resolution would have on the implementation of the Hub, and Ms Sharp noted the tight timescales involved in the project. The Chair confirmed there would be no impact on delivery.

6.    RESOLVED that:

i.               the Committee deemed that the Thanet Integrated Care Hub is a substantial variation of service.

ii.              NHS representatives be invited to attend the Committee’s 12 March 2025 meeting with an update ahead of the Hub opening.