North Hillingdon Panel
North Hillingdon Locality Directorate
Public Panel Meeting
Mount Vernon Hospital Boardroom
7.30 pm Tuesday 15th November 2005
A G E N D A
1. Welcome to Terry Kelly - Head of Commissioning and Service Development, to Hillingdon Primary Care Trust.
Fiona Millar - Chair Public Panel Hayes & Harlington.
Apologies for absence.
2. 7.40pm-8.45pm - Ambulatory Radiotherapy Services at Mount Vernon Hospital/ Practice Based Commissioning - Terry Kelly
NB: Response to Panel from Dr Goodier Chief Executive NWSHA
to be circulated at meeting.
3. Minutes of meeting 20th September 2005.
4. Matters Arising.
5. Notice of A.O.B.
6. Update from:
Resident Associations
Community Voice
PCT Board Meeting
7. Discussion on:
Terms of Reference for Public Panels
8. A.O.B.
Next Meeting to be held on
Tuesday 17th January 2006 at 7.30pm
The Board Room, Mount Vernon Hospital.
Minutes of Meeting held on 15.11.05
The Boardroom, Mount Vernon Hospital
Present: Ann Chad (Chair) (AC)
7 Panel Members
VB (Hillingdon PCT Minute Taker)
Terry Kelly - Speaker (TK)
FM Chair for Hayes & Harlington Public Panel
NB Panel Members are referred to as PM for the external circulation of minutes.
1 Welcome/Apologies:
AC welcomed the Chair of the Public for the Hayes and Harlington Locality and Terry Kelly, Head of Commissioning and Service Development, to the meeting.
Apologies: 2 Panel Members gave their apologies
2)
Ambulatory Radiotherapy/Practice Based Commissioning
TK gave a presentation on the current situation regarding the Cancer Services at Mount Vernon Hospital. TK explained that a review undertaken gave four options. The option to keep services at Mount Vernon were deemed to be unsafe clinically i.e. to have a stand alone service without A & E and other support services.
TK confirmed that the PCT asked for the review to look at capacity and accessibility issues as well as the criteria for safety, care pathways, future flexibility, journeys and travelling time. It is expected that the result of the review should be available at the end of December.
AC confirmed that she has written to Dr Gareth Goodier at the SHA and has had a reply to say that the panel will be included on the stake holders list.
The Panel hoped to be invited to give their views during the consultation period. The panel confirmed that Community Voice had put a proposal forward for Radiotherapy Services in outer London.
Discussions took place around the future of the service and concerns were raised that more patients will be requiring Cancer Services in the future and services need will need to be increased to meet patient demand and be accessible.
After attending the panel meeting, Terry Kelly reported to Elaine Kerr, Executive Director of Commissioning & Performance Management HPCT that the following issues had been raised by Panel:
'The Public Panel raised a number of issues regarding the Radiotherapy access and capacity review which they asked me to feed back to Caroline.
Esssentially the points they made were:
1. Beds and Herts SHA have quoted access issues for Beds and Herts
patients going to Mount Vernon as a rationale for Hatfield. The Panel
made the point that moving services to Hatfield will simply shift the
p2
inconvenience from one group of patients to another. Those closer to
Hatfield will benefit at the expense of patients in the South and West
of the sector.
2. There is a growing incidence of cancer which is likely to continue,
particularly with an ageing population and more screening e.g. Prostate.
The Panel have a real concern that the three potential Centres
(Hatfield, Hammersmith and either Oxford or Reading) will not be
sufficient to meet the needs of the populations of B&H, North West
London and Thames Valley. Therefore, a fourth Centre should be considered.
(The Panel were particularly concerned that alternative proposals put
forward by Community Voice will not be seriously considered).
3. . There was some scepticism of the view of clinicians and that the
issues of clinical governance/ safety had not been sufficiently
challenged or assessed. The Panel felt an independent view should be
sought. The point was made that the issues of safety apply to the
current services and there is no suggestion that these should be stopped
in the interim
5. The issue of complexity of journey was raised i.e. number of changes
of transport required which will add to the journey time and stress
experienced.
5. Even where patients are offered transport via the ambulance services, they are likely to have to wait significant periods for transport home following their treatment. Again the impact on the well being of patients who have undergone stressful treatment and who are unwell needs to be considered as part of the review. There was some concern that this transport service might put out to private tender
6. Whilst accepting that Radiotherapy access is necessarily limited by
the equipment etc there is no clear reason why Chemotherapy should not
be provided at a more local level. The Panel wanted the review to
comment on the possibility of developing local chemotherapy suites.
7. The Panel were concerned that although they had been listed as a
stakeholder they had not yet been interviewed or specifically invited to
comment outside the general invitation to everyone.
It was agreed by Elaine Kerr that the Panel's comments should be sent to Maydens.
3 Terry Kelly also provided the Panel members with information on the following matters:
Burns and Plastics
TK stated that the business case that has been written for the burns and plastics needs £4million which is not available from Hillingdon. Watford have put a case forward for a burns unit with plastics. TK will continue to follow up.
Practice Based Commissioning
TK reported that the information supplied by the hospital does not show which practice patients are registered with therefore making it difficult to provide GPs with indicative budgets. TK stated that there is not huge enthusiasm for PBC bearing in mind that the hospital is over performing, the PCT is in a difficult financial position and GPs are unsure of how the risks will be shared.
FM stated that as a member of the Practice Based Commissioning Committee held in the south of the Borough, she could confirm that GP's in this locality were keen and supportive of PBC.
3) Minutes of the last meeting -The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
4) Matters arising from the Minutes.
3a) AC reported that a newly appointed Panel member would be free to attend the Panel meetings from March 2006.
7)Cawthorne Ward. - PM reported that Friends of Mount Vernon were looking into the provision of some equipment for Cawthorne Ward.
5) Notice of A.O.B
a) Dental Care
b) Re: Availability of Health Reports?
6) Update from Resident Associations.
Ruislip R.A. Meeting - PM Discussion had taken place regarding
Age Discrimination in employment. Implementation of the new bill in 2006 should ensure that people of retirement age who remain employed should be entitled to the same rights as other employees when there employment is terminated. PM to keep the Panel informed.
Eastcote R.A. - PM expressed concerns regarding the continual shifting of financial goal posts by the HPCT resulting in representatives passing on incorrect information to their members.
AC to discuss with the Locality Team. -
Outcome - Members to receive monthly "Core Brief", currently issued to PCT staff, offering up to date information from PCT Executive.
4
Harefield R.A. - PM attended meeting re: Harefield Hospital which produced a report containing 43 recommendations outlining what had gone wrong with the consultation process on the future of H. H. and lessons to be learned.
Report available for 65p. Bob Bell is the hospital's new Chief Executive.
Community Voice - Recent talk on MRSA
PCT Board Meeting- AC reported that the meeting had been centred almost entirely around the financial overspend and cuts in services. A £31m overspend was predicted, 11% of the total budget. PCT is looking towards reducing this to £12m deficit during this financial year. The Board had made a difficult decision when making the recommendation to cease elective surgery. However the Board was advised that commissioning rules inhibited the PCT from taking this forward. Patients on waiting lists would have to be treated.
Mental Health Services are to be transferred from HPCT as a provider and commission by HPCT to be provided by the Central & North West London Mental Health Trust by April 2006.
7) Terms of Reference for Public Panels. AC presented draft
'Terms of Reference' for the Public Panels and invited members to comment. The revised TOR will then be taken forward for approval by the Locality Team Managers and Members of Unite.
8) A.O.B.
NHS Dental Treatment for Children- PM queried whether once the Age Discrimination Act was implemented whether Adults could claim the same rights as children and be treated as NHS patients. Otherwise this could be seen as age discrimination.
PM reported that a dentist had implemented charging a set monthly fee for offering basic dental treatment to his patients without giving the patients choice to opt out of the scheme - AC to investigate.
NHS REPORTS - Members requested the following reports/reviews.
Annual Public Health Report 2005 - N.B. this report is now available from public libraries and can be made available on request.
Also available on the PCT's website www.hillingdon.nhs.uk
SHA Review " Our Healthy Future"
Public Consultation Document "Your Health Your Care Your Say"
AC to investigate the availability of these documents.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday 17th January at 7.30pm at Mount Vernon Hospital