Issue - meetings

Anna Stewart, Start Well Programme Director, NHS North Central London ICB.

RECEIVED the slide presentation, introduced by Anna Stewart, Start Well Programme Director, NHS NCL ICB.

NOTED

1.    The NCL’s Start Well ambition was to ensure its services for children, young people, maternity and neonates, deliver outstanding, safe and timely care for local people wherever they live. Reducing inequalities in provision and health outcomes was key.

2.    The focus was on hospital and elective services for children and young people, and maternity and neonatal services at NMUH, UCLH, the Royal Free, Barnet, Chase Farm and Whittington Health.

3.   A big engagement exercise was carried out, and recommendations were published before Christmas last year. The detailed care models recommended would be shared to Board members.

ACTION:  Anna Stewart

4.   No decisions had been made yet. The three recommendations were at the options appraisal stage. They related to (1) hospital based maternity and neonatal services and possible configuration of services; (2) the one stand-alone midwifery-led unit at Edgware and sustainability of that service; and (3) low volume specialities for children under three years old and potential co-location and reduction in numbers of transfers. Work was ongoing and there was a lot of clinical input.

5.   There would be further assurance and clinical testing. It would be a further few months before recommendations were firm. A decision would then be submitted to the ICB Board for approval. If there were to be changes, there would also be public consultation.

IN RESPONSE

6.   In response to Members’ queries regarding patient and service user engagement, it was confirmed that there was an intensive period of engagement over the summer and there was a full report published online. A patient / public engagement group had been set up, chaired by a lay representative. This group had been asked to take a lead on some aspects of the options appraisal, including travel times. As part of the impact assessment there would be additional engagement and more detailed work. There would be a full public consultation if there were potential changes proposed.

7.   In response to further queries particularly in respect of a cohort of women in the east of the borough who experienced poorer health outcomes and the need to consider that area, it was confirmed there was consciousness of deprived areas in this process.

8.   The Chair stressed that the Board would need an understanding of positive and negative impacts of the programme on Enfield specifically. It was confirmed that the programme was being considered at a borough and sub-borough level, and there would be further attendance at the Board to discuss recommendations and impact assessment. Lead Members and Directors of Public Health were being briefed as the process went along. It was confirmed there were also presentations to North Middlesex Hospital Board. Sophisticated capacity planning tools were being used for assessment.