Agenda item

874    OVERVIEW OF HEALTH ON THE ISLE OF SHEPPEY

The Chairman welcomed David Miekle (Director of Financing and Commissioning, Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust (PCT)) to the meeting.

Mr Miekle gave a presentation on the achievements of the PCT in improving access to health facilities for the people on the Isle of Sheppey and their aspirations for the future. He advised that the PCT had worked hard to identify the key priorities for 712,000 people throughout a diverse area which included rural, coastal, deprived and wealthy. He explained that there were disparities in the average life expectancy with a 17 year difference in the age that people were expected to live.

Mr Miekle outlined the key priorities of the PCT, as listed below:

Break the cycle of inequalities in health - transforming the relationship between the community and the health service.

Revolutionise services for older people - investing in more services in the community to improve their quality of life and allow older people to be at home rather than in hospital.

Appropriate funding needed for the main killers - including heart disease and cancer - trying to encourage people to consult their doctor earlier when they had a problem as this could mean an increased chance of survival.

Improve mental well-being - services at a local level, treatment to include counselling, rather than drug treatment.

Transform the life chances of disadvantaged children - need to work on a local level to get a better service, especially with regard to reducing the amount of teenage pregnancies. He suggested that a targeted plan was needed to improve self esteem and encourage better engagement with young people.

Mr Miekle outlined other areas where there were improvements to service. These included maternity, elective care, reducing waiting times, end of life care and dental care. In meeting local needs, Mr Miekle advised there were eight additional beds at Sheppey Community Hospital, local clinics had increased the range of care that they could provide, community nursing staff provided an integrated service, there was an increase in specialist nurses, a fully operational minor injuries unit, improvement to mental health services and an expanded chronic pain service.

Mr Miekle advised that access to GPs had improved and reported that an Equitable Access Centre had opened on 23rd March 2009 and was open from 8 am until 8pm. There were now five additional GPs and seven extra nurses on the island. A mobile unit helped to bring medical care to the more remote areas.

Mr Miekle explained that future plans included improving access to wider services, increasing the number of GPs, establishing investment plans. He advised that there would be a mobile CT scanner on the island and increased access to clinics in the area to increase the range of services, with easier access.

Mr Miekle answered questions from the Forum:

Communication with young people

Working in partnership was important. The Childrens' Trust was trying to increase communications with schools. A project called 'The House Project' had been set up with KCC where empty shops were converted to enable them to become meeting places where teenagers could talk about issues that were important to them.

24 hour services for health

There were plans for this to be on the PCT agenda.

Beds on the Isle of Sheppey

There were 40 hospital beds on the island.

Present pandemic

The PCT and partners were going through their Emergency Plan and had access to a supply of Tamiflu.

Care in the community

Overnight services were being looked into and monitoring health through the internet.

GP consistency

The PCT had invested heavily to work alongside GPs to improve standards and quality.

Access to hospitals

Mr Miekle confirmed that he would respond to Mr Moore with further information on when the orthopaedic clinic was coming to Sheppey.

Promotion of work

There were plans to put plasma screens in PCT premises and take a health page on Kent TV to publicise services.

Car parking

This is free at the hospital and it may need to be bigger in the future.

Members thanked Mr Miekle for his presentation and welcomed the increase in choice and easier access to health services that was now provided for people on the Isle of Sheppey.

875    UPDATE FROM PARTNERS

Discussion ensued on the question from Councillor Worrall regarding response times to reported incidents to the Police and the response by Inspector Applegate. The Inspector advised that the information Councillor Worrall had requested was not readily available and the time taken to respond to all Councillor Worrall's questions was not viable, nor a good use of Police time. The Chairman advised that he would pass on an email received from Inspector Applegate to Councillor Worrall.

Chairman

   Inspector Applegate explained that crime figures were on the Police website. In response to a statement that not everyone had a computer, Chief Inspector Henley suggested that others could access the information on behalf of those who wanted it.

Inspector Applegate gave an update on PACT priorities for each area of the Isle of Sheppey.

He advised that criminal damage, theft and violent crime had decreased on the island. There had been increases in cases of burglary, fraud and forgery, sex offences, theft of bicycles and vehicle interference.

Inspector Applegate informed the Forum that crime levels generally increased in the summer months, including anti-social behaviour and minor crimes. He explained that there was still much to do and that he relied on the support of local people in the aim of reducing crime.

In response to a question, Inspector Applegate endeavoured to keep PCSOs in one area, but when other incidences occurred, sometimes they needed to be relocated.

The Community Cohesion Worker explained, with regard to the poor attendance at PACT meetings, that there would be PACT surgeries on 21st and 22nd May 2009 held at venues in Sheerness East and West.