Agenda item

(To receive a report which considers United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust's proposals to develop options for the future service model for nuclear medicine in Lincolnshire,  including exploring possible consolidation of the service to be delivered from fewer hospital sites in future. Simon Evans, Chief Operating Officer, Laura White, Head of Nuclear Medicine and Anna Richards, Associate Director of Communications and Engagement will be in attendance for this item)

The Committee gave consideration to a report from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) concerning Nuclear Medicine.

The Chairman invited the following representatives from ULHT to remotely present the report to the Committee: Simon Evans, Chief Operating Officer, Laura White, Head of Nuclear Medicine and Anna Richards, Associate Director of Communications and Engagement.

It was reported that nuclear medicine was a specialist imaging technique involving the administration of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.  The service was provided by the Trust at Grantham and District Hospital, Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.  Details relating to the current reconfiguration of the nuclear medicine service and the number of studies performed were shown on page 67 of the report pack.  The second table on page 67 provided information relating to staffing levels and the geographical demands on the service.

The Committee was advised that as nuclear medicine involved radiation, the technique was highly regulated and that all staff had to undergo extensive training.  Details of the challenges faced by the service nationally and in particular with workforce were shown on page 68 of the report for the Committee to consider.

It was highlighted that Lincolnshire had struggled to recruit and retain clinical technologists over the last five years.  This had been further impacted by the national training service for nuclear medicine clinical technologist's ceasing, which had resulted in a national shortage of trained specialist in the country.  Attempts had been made to recruit abroad, but these had been protracted and unsuccessful in a couple of instances.

In order to ensure continuity of the service, the Committee was advised that the Trust had taken the decision to convert one of the full time posts to an apprentice post.  Further information regarding the experts required to provide the service were shown on page 69 of the report pack.

It was highlighted that the workload demand was only enough for three cameras within the county, but currently there were five.  The five gamma cameras in Lincolnshire were all over ten years old and as such were considered to need replacing.

In conclusion, the Committee was advised that the challenges faced by the Lincolnshire nuclear service included a shortage of skilled workers; the removal of specialist training programmes, which had resulted in an aging workforce, which meant that the department had to look at training staff internally, which in itself posed a challenge. In addition to this the equipment used was over ten years old, and was not properly utilised.

With these challenges, it was highlighted that the service could not continue to guarantee a well-led service, and therefore the Trust was seeking support from the Committee in its development of a proposal for a future service model; and for a public engagement exercise on the proposal to begin no later than 2021.

During discussion, the Committee raised the following comments:

·       The qualifications required for the role.  The Committee was advised that the area of work was very specialised and required extensive training over a number of years to become fully trained;

·       The Committee was advised that the Trust was trying to work with colleagues in the East Midlands to train people.  Lincolnshire was planning to have contingency measures in place for the next 10 to 15 years;

·       Whether the Trust planned to go out for engagement for a two site model or a one site model. The Committee was advised that at this stage all options would be kept on the table; and

·       What the impact was on stopping the service on other services at any one of the hospitals.  The Committee noted that the services impacted would be those at Lincoln, due to the concentration of cancer services.  The Committee was advised that the engagement details would be presented to the Trust Board in October and then to the Health Scrutiny Committee for consideration in October, prior to start of the engagement process.

The Chairman extended thanks on behalf of the Committee to the presenters from ULHT.

RESOLVED

That any future engagement exercise by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust on the configuration of nuclear medicine be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.