Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Primary Care, Partnerships and Engagement, North Durham and Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Groups that presented the Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG Primary Care Strategy and the North Durham CCG Primary Care Strategy (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Committee were informed that DDES CCG had started developing their strategy last November and North Durham CCG were looking at what was required to incorporate into their strategy.  There were workforce challenges and general practices had aspirational targets to provide more care. 

The Director of Primary Care, Partnerships and Engagement advised that both CCGs were undertaking urgent care reviews and were recruiting and developing their workforce.  There was also a new diabetes pathway for prevention.

Councillor S Forster asked how many GP surgeries had signed up to this and was advised that currently the process was going through the procurement stage.  Discussions were taking place with providers about improvements and some pilot schemes had already taken place. 

Councillor Brookes was concerned about access to hub models, especially from rural areas.  He asked if transport to hubs had been considered for those most vulnerable such as the elderly, single parents and low income families.  He hoped the arrangements would be robust.  He further noted that the crisis for recruitment was a national problem and understood that attracting GPs would be required to make the strategies work.

The Director of Primary Care, Partnerships and Engagement said that there was a national recruitment drive to attract 500 GPs and the current workforce challenge was critical to provide long term care.  The GP needs to be at the centre of the model of care that will rely on others professionals to contribute to the provision of care.  The Committee were also advised that there would be a new role developed for receptionists as medical assistants.

With regards to hubs and transport issues the CCGs would support rurality and access to services and were purposefully looking at this.  The hub model in Easington works well and it was hoped to replicate this in other areas with 3 hub centres in Sedgefield and the Dales. 

Councillor J Blakey suggested that it might be useful to have partnership arrangements with local bus services as some villages would still be affected.  The Director of Primary Care, Partnerships and Engagement said that he would take this message back but pointed out that it would be hard for the CCGs to influence bus routes. The Chairman commented that Durham University pay towards an express service to ensure that students are able to travel into the City and suggested that the CCGs could look at a similar arrangement.

The Head of Planning and Service Strategy informed the Committee that the Health and Wellbeing Board had recognised the difference between the two CCGS and would like to see more synergy.  It was understood that it was a complex system and a simple definition of what was on offer and a narrative of what runs through the primary care system was required.  The Chairman agreed that the whole of the County should experience a good service so more synergy would be preferred.

The Director of Primary Care, Partnerships and Engagement said that it had been a culture change for both CCGs and had been really helpful to receive the comments from the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Resolved:

That the report be received and the comments of the Committee on the two CCG Primary Care Strategies be forwarded to the respective organisations.