Agenda item

Representatives from the East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group will report on the outcome of the Primary Care Model consultation.

Representatives from the East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group reported on a review of local primary care especially of the services in Hyndburn.  Representatives included:

·        Rachel Watkins

·        Lisa Cunliffe

·        Dr. Phil Huxley

Dr. Huxley informed the Committee that it was their aim to make health care the best it could be.

Lisa Cunliffe gave a presentation on the Primary Care Model consultation and reminded the Committee that the proposals were presented at this Committee seven months ago.  She referred to the work that had been carried out to form the proposed Primary Care Model and how the views and comments of patients had been taken on board to form principles incorporated into the model.  She reported that the proposed model was based around 8 until 8 working week days and explained that there had been approximately 2000 responses to the consultation from across East Lancashire with approximately one third from Hyndburn.  She reported that the consultation had shown that seven out of ten residents across East Lancashire had agreed with proposals for Health Hubs although less residents in Hyndburn as the Walk In Centre was very popular.  Key themes were:

Access to GP services

Concern about the loss of the Walk In Centre

Capacity for the new Hub to serve the needs of residents.

Rachel Watkins referred to the advanced questions submitted by the Committee Members and gave the following responses:

·        60% of Hyndburn residents who responded to the consultation agreed with the proposal as an alternative to the closure of the Walk In Centre.  A Patient Reference Group was being established to co-produce a model for Hyndburn and monitor progress.

·        Reference was made to Section 3 of the report submitted by the Primary Care Committee showing quantitative findings and a breakdown of the comments of Hyndburn residents in relation to the Primary Care proposals included:

-        92% of Hyndburn residents wanted to save the Walk In Centre.

-        77% considered transport provision to the new Hub to be important.

-        47% considered saving Victoria Hospital important.

-        33% considered phone access to GPs important.

-        28% of people considered weekend access to healthcare important.

-        27% of people considered the impact on A&E important.

The consultation had been completed and the next steps outlined.

·        The CCG will work with GP providers, patients and the population to develop a detailed service delivery model and mobilisation plan.  The Hyndburn Walk-In Centre was due to close on 31 March 2017 and to ensure a smooth transition to the new service model there would be a period of duel running with the Walk In Centre.

·        There had been no decision taken on the site of the new Hub in Hyndburn but the Acorn Centre Accrington was considered as the preferred option.

·        Pharmacy provision was considered important and work would be carried out to ensure that services would be provided.

·        GPs across East Lancashire are generally supportive of the new model.

·        The new model in Hyndburn would not see any savings and there would be a need for additional investment in the primary care services for East Lancashire.

Members submitted the following questions and comments:

-        Those Hyndburn residents who disagreed with the closure of the Walk In Centre didn’t want to lose what they valued.

-        If there would be an option of extending the dual service.

-        If the Acorn Centre became the Hub would it be used for out of hours GP appointments and will other GP Practices be used as Hubs?

-        Once the new model was up and running how long could it continue to be financed for?

-        Would there be job losses?

-        Should the Walk In Centre be closed will staff be made redundant or redeployed?  Have the Trade Unions been considered?

-        Community care to the elderly is not sufficient – will this be considered?

-        What percentage of GPs are generally supportive of the new model?

-        What would the differences be between the proposed new Hub and the current Walk In Centre?

-        Was the on-line public petition included in the consultation?

-        Is it likely that joint access to medical records will become viable in the future?

-        Could the new service become a ‘use it or lose it service?’

Responses to the questions above were:

-        There is no option to extend the dual service before the Walk In Centre was closed and the new service was introduced from the short period planned in March 2017.

-        GP Practices will not be used as Hubs. 

-        There was no known contingency plan for financing the new health care service model.

-        It was unlikely that there would be any job losses and staff would have a right to TUPE transfer and others would be accommodated in the new service.

-        Health and social care would become more holistic in approach.

-        GPs were generally supportive of the new health care model.

-        Members were advised that the GP Practice located in Accrington Victoria would remain and that support services such as the Pharmacy and a Care Navigator would be available.  Members were advised that there was currently no access to health records at the Walk In Centre but it was the aim of the new system to have access to all patient health records.

-        The online petition had not been included in the consultation as it had not formally been received.

Councillor Dad commented that the new model was about extending and delivering access and the Hubs were attempts to make the service more sustainable.  It was acknowledged that the current quality of service was not good enough and needed to be improved.  The right venue with the right resources was very important.  He expressed concern about the short transitional period during which services overlapped and that the needs of the rural areas should also be carefully considered.  Greater joint work was needed.

Resolved                   -  That the report be noted.