Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Director of Adult and Community Services, the managing Director of NHS South West London Richmond Branch and the Director of Public Health for Richmond on the latest changes to local health services.

Cathy Kerr, Director of Adult and Community Services, Dominic Wright, Managing Director at NHS Richmond and Dr Marilyn Plant Chair of NHS Richmond Professional Executive Committee were in attendance to address the Committee.  They reported recent changes to local health services and in particular they drew the attention of the committee to the following information:

Dominic Wright addressed the Committee:

(i)      Co-location collaboration with HRCH and Whitton was underway to facilitate the changes in this area including the FT status the committee heard about under the previous item

(ii)    Financially the PCT had been successful in 2011/12 and it was expected that there would be a surplus which would be banked for use in next? financial year.

(iii)   That this healthy surplus had necessitated a relocation of funds to Croydon PCT from Richmond NHS and all other SW London Boroughs had also contributed.  In addition an amount had been received by Croydon from NHS London.  Some of these monies would be recouped.

(iv)  That a Service Level Agreement had been produced and it was hoped that this would be used when the Clinical Commissioning Groups took over next year to formalise service delivery between the Local Authority and the NHS. Dominic to check

(v)    To further cement work towards co-location and collaboration work, the NHS had secured office space within the LBRuT Civic Centre offices, it was hoped that this would further integrate health and social care in the Borough.

(vi)  That the Whitton facility would open in May and would house, 2 GP’s, a dentist, and aspects of integrated health & social care provision.  The facility would be a poly-clinic in all but name.

The Committee discussed the information received and in response to comments made and questions raised the committee received the following information from officers in attendance:

(i)      That rental charges on pfi financed buildings were high but that this was not now able to be changed.  These charges would be paid by those who were entrusted with the Whitton Facility and would be expected to do so without compromising patient services.

(ii)    That it was not able to be guaranteed that any particular group of people would use the services offered.  The way in which this would be resolved would be to ensure a thorough knowledge of the population and tailor services appropriately.

(iii)   That careful discussions continued with HRCH about the kind of contract that would be utilised to formalise their provision of services at Whitton. These were loosely based around the pros and cons of ‘Block’ contracts versus ‘Pay As You Use’ contracts.

Dr Marilyn Plant provided an update for the committee on the progress made towards the Clinical Commissioning Group.  She explained that:

(i)      The CCG was now established as a ‘Shadow Group’ and that it was required to act in this way for a year.  The process was very rigorous but Richmond was well placed to meet the tests it would encounter thanks to the early planning and joint working that had taken place.

(ii)    That more information was now becoming known about how the healthcare landscape would look in the short term future.  Financial information in particular was coming to light.  It was now clear that £25 per capita would be received from Central Government based on GP registered population, and this was sufficient to allow many services that were thought to be at risk to continue locally.

(iii)   That elections for the new GP Board were taking place and a number of new names were now involved in the work underway.  This was good for the succession of Group.

It was RESOLVED that the information received be noted.