Agenda item

To consider and agree the Health Commission’s response to the Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups’ consultation on the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire.

(Report and appendices attached)

The Council considered the final report of the Health Commission, a group set up by the Council comprising members of the Executive Committee.  This had met in public on three occasions to gather evidence from health service commissioners, providers and residents about the potential impact of the options from the Joint Services Review of Health on the Alexandra Hospital.  The meetings had co-incided with the three Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups’ consultation about the future of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s services. 

In presenting the report, the Leader of the Council thanked all Councillors who had been involved in the work of the Commission and also the officers who had worked very hard within tight timescales to support it. The report included recommendations to the Council to inform its response to the consultation.  The Leader commented that residents wanted safe services which were local and accessible, with a plan and a trust which was viable and sustainable.    He provided a detailed summary of the supporting evidence behind each of the recommendations whilst making reference to the report.  The Leader concluded his presentation by outlining the Council’s wholehearted support of the staff employed by the NHS at both the Alexandra Hospital and throughout the country and he thanked them for their dedication and commitment.

Councillor Juliet Brunner also took the opportunity to thank Members and officers for their hard work and those residents who had given up their time to either attend the meetings or to complete a questionnaire.  She also reiterated her thanks and support to the staff at the Alexandra Hospital.  However, she shared her disappointment about the number of people who had responded to the Health Commission’s survey in comparison with those who had previously signed the petition to retain services at the Alexandra Hospital.

A number of Members took the opportunity to comment on the work of the Health Commission and the need to support residents and ensure that appropriate services were available to all.  Comments were also made in respect of the consultation process and the length of time which had elapsed since the first notice of motion had been proposed by the Council in July 2012.

RESOLVED that

1)        Redditch Borough Council re-affirms its position as detailed in the Notice of Motion from the Council meeting on 23rd July 2012 which was carried unanimously (as detailed in Appendix B to the report);

2)        In light of Section 29A and continuous changes of senior personnel managing Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, that all previous options be reconsidered and a new plan developed;

3)        The Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) take into account the following concerns raised by Members:

a)        Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG and WAHT have not submitted evidence when requested by the Commission in a timely manner.  The Commission therefore feels that its concerns have not been given due regard as befits their role as the democratic representatives of the Borough;

b)        Members should have received separate submissions from Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG and WAHT at its meeting on 12th January.  The purchaser/provider relationship was not therefore clear to either elected Members or members of the public present at (or viewing the live streaming of) the meeting of the Health Commission;

c)        the Worcestershire CCGs’ proposals are totally undermined by the decision not to explore Option 2 in 2015.  The Health Commission has evidence that another trust was interested in providing services at the Alexandra Hospital;

d)        significant concerns over the patient care capacity problems currently being experienced at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and its ability to cope moving forward; and

e)        car parking capacity problems being experienced by patients and visitors at Worcestershire Royal Hospital;

4)        WAHT’s approach to communication with the public be improved to include greater promotion of the Trust’s concessionary travel and car parking policy;

5)        The Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust take into account projected housing growth in Redditch, Bromsgrove and Stratford Districts, as detailed in the relevant Local Plans and as detailed in the 3 Councils’ submission to the Joint Services Review in 2013, and reviews the proposals in light of these (see Appendix O);

6)

a)        the Worcestershire CCGs, WAHT and the Worcestershire Health and Care Trust note Members’ concerns in respect of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan and the implications for Redditch residents; and 

b)        the Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG, WAHT and the Worcestershire Health and Care Trust work more proactively with the Council to develop and implement this plan in order to meet the needs of Redditch residents recognising the role of the Council in the preventative agenda.

7)        The Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG and WAHT work with the Council to identify actions that can be taken by all service providers to address the high rate of respiratory illness experienced in the Redditch area;

8)        The Council write to NHS England and NHS Improvement urging that the proposed changes to WAHT services are not implemented until:

a)        the concerns raised by patients as detailed in the completed surveys and minutes of the Health Commission meetings, have been addressed; and

b)        the £29m capital investment detailed in the Worcestershire CCGs’ consultation report has been secured.

9)        The Council writes to NHS England and NHS Improvement expressing Members’ concerns about the Trust and the Worcestershire CCGs’ consultation process, the viability of the Trust, and its ability to provide quality and safe services (as evidenced by Section 29A), the time it has taken to review hospital services, which Members feel has been too long, and the overall inadequacy of the plan for future services;

10)     The Council writes to Central Government urging them to review funding arrangements for the NHS and Social Care; and

11)     The Council writes to Central Government/NHS England requesting that there be a substantial recruitment and training initiative for new doctors and nurses to work within the NHS.

A named vote was requested in respect of Recommendation 12

Members voting FOR the resolution: Councillors Joe Baker, Natalie Brookes, Debbie Chance, Greg Chance, John Fisher, Andy Fry, Bill Hartnett, Pattie Hill, Wanda King, Mark Shurmer, Rachael Smith, Yvonne Smith, Paul Swansborough, Jennifer Wheeler, Pat Witherspoon and Nina Wood-Ford (16)

Members voting AGAINST the resolution: 0

Members ABSTAINING from voting on the resolution: Councillors Tom Baker-Price, Roger Bennett, Juliet Brunner, David Bush, Michael Chalk, Anita Clayton, Brandon Clayton, Matthew Dormer, Gay Hopkins, Jane Potter, Gareth Prosser, Antonia Pulsford, David Thain (13)

RESOLVED that

12)      the following answers be provided to the first eight questions in

 the CCGs’ Consultation Survey: