Agenda item

(To receive a report from the Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group, which provides the Committee with information on the consultation currently being undertaken regarding the proposed closure of the Skellingthorpe branch surgery of The Glebe Medical Practice.  Sarah-Jane Mills, Chief Operating Officer, Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group will be in attendance for this item)  

Consideration was given to a report from Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group, which provided the Committee with an update on the consultation currently being undertaken in regard to the proposed closure of the Skellingthorpe branch of The Glebe Medical Practice.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Sarah-Jane Mills, Chief Operating Officer, Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group.  It was reported that Dr Catherine Ash, a partner at the Glebe Practice, had intended to be at the meeting, but had submitted her apologies.

In guiding the Committee through the report, the Chief Operating Officer advised the Committee of the background behind the proposal.  The Committee was advised that the Glebe Medical Practice was a rural practice, which operated from two sites, with the main surgery being situated in Saxilby, the branch site then operated from Skellingthorpe, which was located some 4.6 miles away.  It was highlighted that there was no separate patient list attached to the branch site, as all patients were registered at The Glebe Medical Practice.  Details relating to the services provided at the Skellingthorpe branch were shown on page 112 of the report.  The Committee was advised that the practice believed that having all the clinical teams working from one site would improve access overall for patients to both the GP's and the nursing team. 

It was reported that the consultation had commenced on the 3 June 2019 and would be finishing on 2 August 2019.  The feedback from the process would then be analysed, following which the Clinical Commissioning Group's Primary Care Commissioning Committee would then make their decision.

Detailed at Appendix A to the report was a copy of the consultation letter, frequently asked questions and a copy of the questionnaire for the Committee to consider?

The Committee noted that from the responses received so far, it had been identified that more patients used the Saxilby site; that 74% had specified that they would travel to appointments by car and in the event of Skellingthorpe closing, 72% confirmed they would travel to Saxilby; and 60% of patients stated they understood the practices reasons for the proposed closure.

The Committee noted further that the issue of transport and travel was being looked into further, as there was no direct public transport route between the two villages.  It was reported that the practice was working with Skellingthorpe Parish Council and Healthwatch to look at all options to address transport concerns.

Confirmation was also given that The Glebe Medical Practice would make provision for appointments to be available for patients from the Skellingthorpe site.

The Committee noted that three practices, whose borders included Skellingthorpe were all rated as 'good' by the Care Quality Commission and all had open lists.

During discussion, the Committee raised the following points:-

·         The need to ensure that full consideration was given to transport arrangements from Skellingthorpe to The Glebe Medical Practice, as no direct public transport route existed.  The Committee was advised that it was not the Clinical Commissioning Groups responsibility to provide transport; the Practice was however facilitating and supporting the Parish Council and other local groups with the provision of transport  from Skellingthorpe to The Glebe Medical Practice;

·         That adequate appointment provision would be made available at The Glebe Medical Practice, with the same number of appointments overall, and that home visits would continue;

·         Confirmation was requested as to whether the three GP practices in Lincoln (Woodlands, Birchwood and Brayford) had capacity for additional patients.  The Committee was advised that all three GP practices had open lists, and that all three practices would be anxious in the event of a significant increase in the number of patients registered.  It was highlighted that patients attending any of these three GP practices would involve using their own transport or public transport; and

·         To make sure that consideration was given to the increase in population from new housing developments, to ensure there would be adequate GP capacity in Saxilby.

RESOLVED

1.    That the report on the Glebe Medical Practice Consultation on the Proposal to close Skellingthorpe Health Centre be received.

2.    That the Chairman be authorised on behalf of the Committee to make a response to the consultation on the Proposal to close Skellingthorpe Health Centre.