Minutes for Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting, Jan 20 2011, 10.00AM official page

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2010 (JH03) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

 

Report by the Director of Public Health on matters of relevance and interest.

The Chairman of the PCT, Fred Hucker, Sonia Mills, the Chief Executive and Jonathan McWilliam, Director of Public Health, will brief the Committee on the latest developments in relation to the restructuring of NHS services in Oxfordshire. John Jackson, Director for Social and Community Services and Nick Welch, Head of Major Programmes for Social and Community Services will also attend for this item.

 

The purpose of this item is to help members understand the latest developments in the restructuring of local NHS services including the possible implications of “clustering” Oxfordshire PCT with Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes PCTs (the latter may be moved to a different cluster).

A review of paediatric cardiac surgical services in England began in 2008 in response to long-standing concerns around the sustainability of the current service configuration. It was considered that surgeons were spread too thinly across surgical centres (31 congenital cardiac surgeons spread over 11 surgical centres), leading to concerns around lack of 24/7 cover in smaller centres and the potential for sudden closure or suspension of smaller centres.

 

The review is being led by the National Specialised Commissioning Team (NSC Team) on behalf of the 10 Specialised Commissioning Groups (SCGs) in England and their constituent Primary Care Trusts. It was planned that proposals for change should go to public consultation in 2011. However, in October 2010 it was decided that the eventual options for reconfiguration to be put out for public consultation would not include the children’s heart surgery service at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

 

However, at the same time, the Trust was told that “not being included in options for consultation does not mean that the JCPCT [Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts] has made any decision about the future of the service at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

 

The purpose of this item will be to broaden understanding of this issue and how the John Radcliffe Hospital could be included in the future consultation on changes to the service. Also, to hear from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust about the development of a proposal to establish an integrated service with Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust that would enable a robust paediatric cardiac service to be provided at Oxford.

 

Speakers will include representatives of the ORH Trust; the Director for the NSC Team “Safe and Sustainable Services” programme and representatives of the “Young Hearts” a local charity that supports children with heart disease and their families.

 

The following papers are attached:

A letter from the Chair of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to the Chief Executive of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust

A letter from the Chairman of the HOSC to the Secretary of State for Health

The reply from the Secretary of State

Young Hearts briefing to MPs

 

 

 

In May 2010 the HOSC considered proposals from the PCT to recommission day services provided by voluntary and community services for adults over the age of 18 who have mental health problems. Following that a working group was formed to work with the PCT commissioners to ensure that; the outcomes of the process led to a service that maintained equity of access to high quality services; the process was transparent throughout; and that there would be a clear and effective transition process.

 

The tendering process has now been completed with HOSC members observing the work of the implementation group. Fenella Trevillion, Head of Joint Commissioning for Mental Health, Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, Ian Bottomley, Service Development Manager – Mental Health and Dennis Preece, Chairman – Mental Health Commissioning Programme Board will attend for this item and explain the outcome of the recommissioning process and the transitional plans. A paper which has been prepared by Ian Bottomley is attached.

 

The latest Oxfordshire LINk newsletter is attached. LINk representatives will be available at the meeting to answer member’s questions if required.

The Chairman will report on meetings that he has attended and issues that have arisen since the last meeting.