Agenda item

The Board received a presentation from Mr. Simon Griffiths on the proposals put forward for public consultation by Halton Primary Care Trust on the re-configuration of some GP services currently provided in Widnes, in line with the PCT’s Widnes Estates Strategy.

 

Halton Primary Care Trust had developed an Estates Strategy for Widnes in response to a number of issues as outlined within the report.  The Primary Care Trust was reviewing the premises and consulting with patients and the public, over a 12 week period from 8th May to 31st July 2006, to decide what changes would be made to improve the buildings that this care would be delivered in. The Executive Summary also outlined which practices would be involved, options for each practice, the preferred option and the next steps. 

 

In particular it was noted that there were 9 Widnes GP practices working from 11 buildings. Approximately 61,000 patients were registered with them and there were 6 PCT-owned community centres which provided patient care.

 

The range of solutions took into account a number factors such as that the changes needed to be affordable, to support delivery of modern, high quality services, to improve premises safety and accessibility, to be achievable, and must take into account the Department of Health paper “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say”. It was felt that making no changes would not be not an option. In addition there would be a limited amount of funding available to spend on buildings.

 

The PCT preferred solution was outlined as:

• Beaconsfield practice and Upton Rocks practice to move to a new building opposite Fairfield High School (either as separate practices within 1 building or as a merged practice).
• Hale branch surgery to move to Halebank Methodist Church.
• Upton Medical centre to remain at its current site.
• Ditton Medical Centre to move into the Health Care Resource centre.
• Consider improving Beeches current building; and
• Halebank Primary Care access centre to move to the Health Care resource Centre.

 

As these proposals involved significant changes to services, the public consultation would include a mail drop to all the households primarily affected by the proposals, this would include an insert summarising the specific proposals affecting that patients practice.

 

However as the proposals may have a knock on effect on other practices it was felt that all patients should be given an opportunity to express an opinion.  Therefore copies of summary document and the full Estates Strategy would be available in each practice and other public areas, would be mailed out on request and would also be posted on the PCT’s website.

In addition a notice in the local press would supplement the distribution of the summary documents.  The next stage would be to provide the opportunity for people to respond and to ask questions. The summary document would include a feedback form which would also allow people to make their own suggestions and comments.  Drop in sessions would be arranged at each of the affected practices in Widnes.  At a designated time and date people would be given an opportunity to meet representatives from the PCT/Practice to raise any questions and pass comment.  It was also proposed that presentations would be given to the Patient & Public Involvement Forum and to the Health & Community Care Forum.

 

It was noted that the Trust had received a letter from David Parr on behalf of the Council requesting that Halton have a dedicated Governor position.

 

The Board raised a number of issues in relation to:

 

·        the practices with Disability Discrimination (DDA) non-compliance issues;

·        the importance of public transport;

·        the expectation that the majority of patients registered at the Hale practice, although low in numbers, would be elderly and have difficulty accessing another service;

·        the proposed changes not going far enough to provide an effective GP service for Widnes;

·        single practices being outdated and that expectations were that GP’s should be encouraged to move towards having group practices;

·        the number of practices relocating to the Health Care Resource Centre and whether this may cause overcrowding or reduce the number of day clinics available; and

·        what the timescales for the changes, as outlined in the report, would be.

 

In response Mr. Griffiths responded to each of the above issues raised, giving further information to support the re-configuration where available.

RESOLVED: That the consultation document and comments on the consultation document be noted.