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Health Service Forum South East
Minutes of a regular meeting of the Health Service Forum on Tuesday January 13th 2004 held in the Larkfield Centre at 7.30 p.m.
Contents
Report from the Trust meeting of 14th January 2004
Report on the GGNHS Board meeting of the 20th January 2004
Apologies
Apologies were received from Alastair Glen, Douglas McGregor, Aileen Fyfe, Fiona Brodie, Alva Caldwell, Dorothy Walls, Eric Canning, Lesley McTaggart.
Margaret Hinds was in the Chair and welcomed everyone.
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of the 9th December were approved and adopted as correct. There were no matters arising.
Correspondence
1. A reply was received to our letter written to Dr Hunter asking a) whether the number of doctors in training equalled the number retiring, b) what is the predicted need for GPs in the next 10 years? c) what plans are there to match future requirements? None of the questions were answered and a further letter will be sent asking for an explanation.
2. A letter was received from Robert Calderwood on behalf of Tom Divers, Chief Executive of GGNHS Board, in reply to our letter asking once again to see the proposed plans for the building on the ACAD site. We also queried the wisdom of purchasing an awkward piece of land from the City of Glasgow at the QPR ground. A suggestion was made that a more rectangular plot would allow for easier design of the building and give the Health Board additional land for future use. In response we were sent an artist’s impression of how a building could look on the QPR site. The letter informed us that the Board ‘have now worked through the requirements for clinical space, room relationships, and aspects of architectural design with clinical staff and technical advisors.’
3. Chief Inspector Angus McPhail of Strathclyde Police replied to our letter regarding the traffic issues surrounding the building of the new ACAD and querying the fact that there is no police representation on the transport monitoring group. He had made enquiries of the Health Board and been informed that at this time there is no need to involve the police. Planning application will be made in the spring of 2004. He was also informed that the Transport group has been set up to discuss the options available to encourage the use of public transport by persons attending the hospitals.
There were no matters arising.
The meeting was asked if anyone had any ideas to offer regarding the severe shortage of medical staff throughout the city and indeed the country. This problem has been addressed by the Kings Fund, a charitable organisation operating in London. A link to their web site has been put on our web site. It can be accessed on www.kingsfund.org.uk. Staffing will be the sole item on the agenda for the South Monitoring Group at an extraordinary meeting on the 23rd January.
On behalf of the Forum the Treasurer attended a packed public meeting in the Radisson Hotel called by the GGNHS Board to discuss maternity provision. The Board failed to convince the audience that their proposal to close the Queen Mother Maternity Hospital is the right one. The Forum's view is that the Queen Mother's with its unique proximity to the Sick Children's should be maintained. At the same time we must retain a maternity service at the Southern General otherwise the entire South side will have no maternity unit. There must be three maternity units in the city anything other is unacceptable.
There was no other competent business.
Report from the Trust meeting of 14th January 2004
ACAD update; Glasgow City Council has designated land available for transfer at the QPR ground.
The Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) to consortia will be made at the beginning of February. The final business case will be presented in the autumn. Scottish Office approval to proceed to financial closure or agreement will be given in January 2005. By 2007 there will be new facilities for patients.
Continued………………..
Emerging pressures in acute services; Robert Calderwood, in the absence of Dr Brian Cowan, advised that reviews of specialties are to be launched. A paper will presented to the Board possibly in March probably April.
Consultation on the future of maternity services; Almost everyone agreed that units have to be reduced from 3 to 2. Unison are fighting for the status quo. Mr Calderwood felt that the main issues to be addressed are;
1. Transport - whichever site is chosen will present serious difficulties for patients.
2. Co-location with adult acute services (this requirement ties in with the National Policy for Care.)
3. Geographical
A mother’s condition can deteriorate very rapidly and it is essential to have onsite acute provision. SGH has both ICU and paediatric ICU.
Domestic services quality performance review; It has taken 12 months to improve matters at the Victoria. Recruiting rates have improved and during the last 6 months terms and conditions have improved for staff. Currently achievement figures shown are better than at the SGH.
Report on the GGNHS Board meeting of the 20th January 2004
Community Health Partnerships; Boundary proposals and principles.
Proposals were put forward for consultation. The 16 Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCCs) are to be replaced by 5 larger Community Health Partnerships(CHPs) each covering a population of over 100,000.
These would be Western, Northern, Eastern, Southwest and South East. The South East CHP would be bounded by the River Clyde, Commerce Street, the M77 and Dumbreck Road to the west. Glasgow City boundary with East Renfrewshire Council sets the southern and eastern boundaries.
It is proposed that CHPs should directly manage community nurses, relationships with primary care contractors, local older people’s services, school nursing, local chronic disease programmes and staff, oral health action teams, allied health professionals, palliative care and some addiction and disability services (jointly with local authorities)
Eventually CHPs would hold budgets for prescribing in primary care, diagnostic and laboratory services to primary care and enhanced services under the new GMS contract.
The proposed implementation date is April 2005.
Forum's comment. CHPs appear to have an enormous remit. Will they be able to cope?
ACAD Procurement
The Board’s auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers issued a review and hence on the 3rd December the Scottish Executive Health Department gave an assurance that they are content with the single bidder arrangements and that work with the bidder should continue. A further review will be undertaken early in 2004 by consultancy ‘Partnership UK’ who review PPP projects on behalf of the Treasury.
Substantial additional items for the project were announced as 1) New theatre suite and Day Surgery facilities for Stobhill Hospital in place of older facilities which were not now being used. 2) The incorporation of 60 elderly care beds at the Victoria ACAD to replace the Mansionhouse unit beds.
These developments will increase the capital and revenue costs to £83m for Stobhill and £108m for the Victoria ACAD. This includes a 15% capital cost provision for equipment, scanners and X-ray equipment.
An additional £2.1m per annum will be required to meet the revenue needed for the combined ACAD projects.
Forum's Comment . Will this increase in the cost of the ACADs have a bearing on the single bid?
In his introduction the Chairman, Sir John Arbuthnott, read out the following statement
‘There is an important issue of credibility also, with the public, our staff and elected representatives. Given the duration of the public consultation process and the ensuing decision-making process, there still remains doubt in a number of quarters whether the promised modernisation of acute services care will be delivered. It is crucial therefore to be able to demonstrate to the wide range of interests involved, that the Board is now moving definitively to implement these key first stages of its Acute Services Plan.’ (Paper 04/02 para 4.2)
The date of the next meeting is Tuesday 10th February 2004 at 7.30 p.m.