Agenda and minutes

The Chair informed Members that Mr Bartlett had replaced Mr Whiting as a member of the Committee.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2017 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chair.

Michael Ridgwell (Programme Director, Kent and Medway STP), Patricia Davies (Accountable Officer, NHS Dartford Gravesham and Swanley CCG and NHS Swale CCG and Senior Responsible Officer, Kent & Medway Stroke Review), Steph Hood (STP Communications and Engagement Lead, Kent & Medway STP),Dr Mike Gill (Chair, Joint CCG Committee), Cllr Belsey (Chair, Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee, East Sussex County Council) and Cllr Hunt (Chair, People Overview and Scrutiny Committee , Bexley Council) were in attendance.

(1)       The Chair welcomed the guests to the Committee including Councillor Belsey from East Sussex County Council and Councillor Hunt from Bexley Council who had been invited to participate in the meeting prior to the establishment of the new JHOSC. Following a request from the Joint CCG Committee, the Chair noted that she had agreed for the report regarding the proposed options and consultation plan to be considered as an urgent item. She stated that it was considered urgent as it was not available at the time of publication and the Committee had requested to have the opportunity to consider and comment on the proposed options and consultation plan prior to the start of the public consultation.

(2)       Ms Davies began by introducing the NHS guests. She highlighted the aim of the clinicians, stakeholders and stroke survivors involved in the review to implement hyper acute stroke services in Kent and Medway which would bring a significant and positive impact for the residents within Kent and Medway, as well as the wider population. She stated that she sought the Committee’s support to move forward with the review.

(3)       Dr Gill advised the Committee that the current model, with stroke services, being provided on six out of the seven acute hospital sites in Kent & Medway, was unsustainable. He noted that the sites were not consistently meeting national quality standards, did not provide 24/7 access and did not have the workforce to deliver best practice through hyper acute stroke units. He highlighted the role of clinicians in the review; in order to meet the national standards, it was proposed that stroke services would be consolidated onto three sites.

(4)       Ms Davies reported that under the current model 24/7 access to onsite consultants, brain scans and clot busting drugs were not consistently available. She noted that a combined hyper acute stroke unit and acute stroke unit was proposed, the first 72 hours of inpatient care would be on the hyper acute unit with follow up care being provided on the same site in an acute stroke unit. She stated that there would be a range of benefits of consolidating stroke services including reduction in morbidity and mortality and fewer people living with long-term disability following a stroke. She assured the Committee that the whole pathway was being reviewed including prevention and rehabilitation.

(5)       With regards to governance, Ms Davies explained that the process had been overseen by the Stroke Programme Board for the past three years which included CCGs, providers, stroke survivors and the Stroke Association. She noted that Professor Tony  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.