Meeting: Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 18/10/2005 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A0 Minutes
Item No 1
DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL
At a Meeting of the
Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee held at the County Hall, Durham on
Tuesday 18 October 2005 at
10.00 a.m. COUNCILLOR K STANSFIELD in the Chair.
Durham County Council Councillors Armstrong, Carr, Hunter, S Iveson, Lethbridge and Simmons
Derwentside District Council Councillor Agnew
Durham City Council Councillors Pitts and Smith
Easington District Council Councillor Campbell
Sedgefield Borough Council Councillors Crosby and A Gray
Teesdale District Council Councillor Hamilton
Wear Valley District Council Councillors Harker and Lee
Co-opted Members Councillor M Iveson
Other Members Councillor G Gray
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Chaplow and Priestley
A1 Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest.
A2 Increased Local Health Service Capacity The Sub Committee considered a report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny about the use of the independent sector to increase health service capacity together with a report and a briefing from Martin Wilson of the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority (for report see file of Minutes).
Martin explained the background to the Government’s policy for increasing health service capacity through the independent sector.
Patients will be offered at least four providers, if this is clinically appropriate, including extending choice to the independent sector. Waiting times are a key issue and currently waiting times are down to six months. Waiting times have to be reduced so that by 2008 no patient has to wait more than 18 weeks from seeing their GP to having their treatment. To do this will require extra capacity.
A new treatment centre is proposed for the County Durham and Tees Valley SHA area. It is expected that around 8,000 extra operations will be performed in the centre every year. Patients will be offered the choice to go there for treatment or to any of the existing hospitals. In order to meet the 18 week maximum waiting time it will be necessary to improve access to diagnostic services. This will be delivered by providing diagnostic services closer to where patients live by the provision of ten mobile diagnostic centres.
In relation to scrutiny of the independent sector, Martin explained that PCT’s will still be required to provide performance indicators on services they commission.
Concern was expressed about the difficulty in recruiting staff for the new treatment centre. In particular there was concern that NHS staff would be “poached” for the new centre. It was explained that whilst some international staff will need to be recruited, there are more trained staff in some specialities than there are vacancies. In addition the additional capacity will be phased in to ensure that there are sufficient staff available.
Regarding the location of the new treatment centre Martin advised that the location would be selected via the procurement process and it was likely to be located in the area of greatest need. He further explained that one of the key criteria regarding the location of the new centre would be access and transport links for patients, visitors and staff.
Resolved: That the report and briefing be noted.
A3 Annual Health Checks for Health Trusts The Sub Committee considered a report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny commenting upon the main Health Trusts which provide services to residents of County Durham as part of a national process known as the ‘Annual Health Check’(for report see file of Minutes).
Durham Dales Primary Care Trust - The Sub Committee asked that reference to the importance of transport for gaining access to health facilities be added to the comments.
Derwentside Primary Care Trust - The Sub Committee asked that reference be made to the availability of appropriate information for young mental health patients.
Easington Primary Care Trust - The Sub Committee asked that reference be made to the importance of the care of the elderly.
Resolved: That comments outlined in the report together with additional comments detailed above be approved.
A4 Tees Review The Sub Committee considered a report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny about the review of hospital services in the Tees valley area (for report see file of Minutes).
Resolved: That the report be noted.
Attachments
healthscrutiny18.10.05.pdf