Meeting documents

            Meeting: Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 18/10/2005 10:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A2 Increased Local Health Service Capacity

Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee 18 October 2005 Increased local health service capacity

Purpose of Report

1. To explain the attached briefing paper from the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority about the use of the independent sector to increase health service capacity.

Background

2. The attached briefing paper has been received from the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority. The paper describes the Government’s policy for increasing Health Service capacity through the independent sector and how this is being applied in County Durham to give patients greater choice over where they receive their care.

3. As part of the Government’s major programme to deliver a more responsive Health Service offering faster access to high quality services, greater use of the independent sector is being introduced.

4. Within the area of the Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority, there is a proposal to increase the number of operations carried out on patients. These extra operations will be provided in a new treatment centre within the County Durham and Tees Valley area. It is expected that around 8,000 operations will be performed in the Centre every year in specialties including orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, plastic surgery, oral surgery and Ear, Nose and Throat surgery. Independent sector providers are currently developing proposals for such a Centre.

5. In addition, Primary Care Trusts within the Strategic Health Authority area will be seeking to buy a range of diagnostic tests from the independent sector to assist in diagnosing and treating many more patients. Locally, it is estimated that around 20,000 patient scans per year for appointments such as MRI scans, CT scans and ultrasound will be provided, some of them in mobile units.

Recommendation

6. You are asked to note this information.

 Increased local health service capacity - 18 Oct.pdf