Agenda item

(To receive a report from Simon Evans, Health Scrutiny Officer, which invites the Committee to consider the details provided on the Lincolnshire Acute Services Review of Acute Medical Beds at Grantham and District Hospital; and to highlight any areas which the Committee’s working group might wish to explore in further detail.  Dr Dave Baker, South West Lincolnshire Locality Clinical Lead, Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Yvonne Owen, Medical Director, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and Pete Burnett, System Strategy and Planning Director, Lincolnshire NHS will be in attendance for this item)

The Committee considered a report, which provided details on the Lincolnshire Acute Services Review - Acute Medical Beds at Grantham and District Hospital.

The Chairman invited Dr Dave Baker, South West Lincolnshire Locality Lead, Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Yvonne Owen, Medical Director, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, Pete Burnett, System Strategy and Planning Director and Charley Blyth, Director of Communications and Engagement, Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, to remotely present the item to the Committee.

Appended to the report at Appendix A was an extract (Pages 32-36) from the Lincolnshire Public Consultation Document – Relating to Four of Lincolnshire’s NHS Services – Acute Medical Beds at Grantham and District Hospital; and Appendix B provided a copy of Chapter 11 of the Pre-Consultation Business Case for the Lincolnshire Acute Services Review for the Committee to consider.

The Committee was advised of the current service provision and how it was currently organised; the challenges and opportunities for acute medical beds at Grantham and District Hospital; engagement feedback received; and details of the preferred community/acute medical beds at Grantham and District Hospital, in place of the current acute medical beds.  The integrated community/acute beds would be delivered through a partnership model between a community health care provider and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.  It was highlighted that the care of patients would still be led by consultants and their team of doctors, practitioners, therapists, and nursing staff.  The positive impacts of the proposal would ensure that acute medical bed provision continued to be delivered at Grantham and District Hospital and that the service would be delivered in a more sustainable way.  It was noted that 90% of patients currently cared for in the acute medical beds at Grantham Hospital would continue, and that the proposal would deliver a more comprehensive local service provision which would enable Grantham and District Hospital to build a centre of excellence for integrated multi-disciplinary care.  It was reported that a small number of patients with higher acuity needs (estimated to be around one per day) would receive treatment at an alternative site which had the facilities and skills to look after more seriously ill patients.

During consideration of the report, the Committee raised some the following comments:

·       Clarification was sought as to the term ‘Urgent Treatment Centre Plus’.  The Committee was advised that the term could not be used, as there was no reference to it in the NHS specification for urgent treatment centres; and therefore, the inclusion of the term within the report had referred to an earlier intention to use the term, which could not be progressed.  Pages 83 to 85 of the report provided details relating to the proposed model.  Paragraph 11.2.9 advised that the proposal enabled Grantham Hospital and District Hospital to offer services which were not on offer at other urgent treatment centres and build a centre of excellence for integrated multi-disciplinary care, for frail patients;

·       Some concern was expressed to the low number of people attending some of the consultation events and whether the Trust could advise the Committee of the total number of responses received to date.  It was noted that the total was nearing 2,000.   The Committee was advised that it was the quality of the responses received that was important not the quantity received;

·       The number of patients that would be affected by the change who would receive care at an alternative hospital.  Confirmation was given that this would be around 10% (approximately 1 patient a day);

·       The Committee was advised that recruitment was an issue nationally, as well as locally and that having the innovative model for Grantham and District Hospital would make the service more attractive to potential candidates;

·       Confirmation was given that providing care in the community was more expensive to provide, but that was the service people wanted and therefore that was what would be provided, a consultant-led team supporting the local wider community teams;

·       The need for easier to read information to allow the general public to respond.  It was reported that information was available in various levels of detail to suit the need of the reader; and that these documents were available on the website.  Confirmation was given that public facing material was different to that received by members of the Committee;

·       The Committee noted that the Community Pathway would enable GPs and primary care to be involved from the start.  The community pathway would enable GPs to manage their patients in a more effective way, with the help of the multi-disciplinary team, using the same clinical software, which would improve communication; and

·       A request was made for percentages shown in reports to be accompanied by relevant figures, to enable the Committee to give full consideration to the matter in question.

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

RESOLVED

1.      That the details presented on the Lincolnshire Acute Services Review of Acute Medical Beds at Grantham and District Hospital be noted.

2.      That the Committee’s findings on the proposal be recorded for consideration by the Committee’s working group.