Meeting documents

Also present at the invitation of the Chairman

Ms Karen Atkinson, Stronger Communities Delivery Manager (Scarborough & District), North Yorkshire County Council – for Item 6

Mr Geoff Day, Head of Co-commissioning, NHS England Yorkshire and Humber – Item 4

Dr Omnia Hefni, Lead for Urgent Care, Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group –for Item 5

Ms Rachel Page, Mobilisation Manager, Northern Doctors Urgent Care – for Item 5

Mr Alex Trewhitt, Corporate Communications Service Manager, Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support – for Item 5

Councillor Mortimer declared a personal interest in agenda item 4, NHS England review of local Personal Medical Services contracts for GP practices in her capacity as Borough Council representative on the North Yorkshire County Council Scrutiny of Health Committee.

Councillor Mortimer declared a personal interest in agenda item 5, Development of new urgent care centre in Scarborough in her capacity as Borough Council representative on the North Yorkshire County Council Scrutiny of Health Committee.

Councillor Jeffels declared a personal interest in agenda item 6, Consultation on changes to North Yorkshire's library services since he was also a Member of North Yorkshire County Council.

Councillor Billing declared a personal interest in agenda item 6, Consultation on changes to North Yorkshire's library services since he was also a Member of North Yorkshire County Council.

Councillor Ritchie declared a personal interest in agenda item 6, Consultation on changes to North Yorkshire's library services since he was also a Member of North Yorkshire County Council.

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2014.  (Minutes attached).

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman reported that no public questions had been submitted.

To consider a report (attached) by Geoff Day, Head of Primary Care, North Yorkshire and Humber Area Team, NHS England.

The committee considered a report by the Head of Co-commissioning, NHS England Yorkshire & Humber in respect of their current review of Personal Medical Services GP contracts in the area.  Members were advised that NHS England was committed to ensuring equitable funding across all contract types and undertook a national analysis of PMS contracts last year which suggested that PMS contracts cost more than General Medical Services contracts with no demonstrable difference in the range of services being delivered.  This prompted a review by NHS England  Yorkshire & Humber of PMS contracts to determine the level of premium, if any, paid to practices and take action to release the premium back into the system.  NHS England was currently working through the implementation of the convergence of GMS and PMS funding with the CCGs, and how the premium would be released to ensure equity across all practices.  In the Borough, there were three GP practices with PMS contracts: two in the Scarborough area and one in the Whitby area.  Two stood to gain financially from the convergence with effect from April 2015, whilst for the third there would be no significant change in funding.  It was unlikely that services would be stopped as a consequence of the review; rather, they may be commissioned and delivered in a different way.

RESOLVED that the report be received.

To consider a briefing note (attached) by Scarborough & Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group

The committee considered a written briefing by Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (SRCCG) on the new local urgent care service accompanied by a presentation delivered by Dr Omnia Hefni, Urgent Care Lead at the CCG, Alex Trewhitt, Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support, and Rachel Page, Mobilisation Manager at the new provider, Northern Doctors Urgent Care.  Members were reminded of the rationale and purpose of the new service, how urgent care was defined, and how the service was procured.  This was an integrated, one-stop for patients to access urgent care (only for sudden illness or injury that needed treating fast, but was not considered to be a 999 emergency), which would operate 24/7 365 days a year backed up by a GP out of hours service which included home visits as appropriate.  The service would be accessed in three ways – calling NHS 111, walking in, or being redirected by another health service – with the recommended method of NHS 111 to make certain the patient was accessing the right service for their needs.  The Urgent Care Centre would share the same reception as the Emergency Department at Scarborough Hospital, so patients would be directed to the most appropriate service on arrival, relieving pressure on ED and enabling UCC and ED staff to support each other in times of high demand.  Members were also advised about the new service at Castle Health Centre which would include a GP practice for registered patients open 8am-8pm and specialist services for vulnerable people.  Ms Page then introduced Northern Doctors Urgent Care, a clinically-led GP social enterprise which served 2.5 million patients across the country.  Ms Page demonstrated a track record of fast and efficient mobilisation of new urgent care services in different locations, and an ethos of putting patients and staff first and strong patient engagement which resulted in excellent user satisfaction levels.  She also described in more detail their GP out of hours service operating 1830 to 0800 on weekdays and all weekend, and their home visit capability including 4 X 4 marked vehicles, drivers and satellite navigation tools.  Members then discussed the presentation/briefing and asked questions.  In response to concerns about the quality and frequency of public transport to Scarborough Hospital, Members were reminded that the urgent care centre was for conditions or injuries that needed treating fast, not as a substitute for a visit to the GP or pharmacy.  The expectation was that people would not need to access the centre frequently, but when they did they would take the necessary steps, for example get a lift with a friend or call a taxi.  Given its function, Scarborough Hospital was in an accessible location.  NDUC was looking to introduce a scheme to reimburse urgent care users for the cost of using the hospital car park.  A dispensing pharmacy would not operate at the UCC, but the provider would have a stock of medicines available to give to users straight away, with a prescription for more drugs as required.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider local feedback to the County Council’s proposals for libraries in the Borough provided by dual-hatted councillors to enable the committee to formulate its own response to the current County Council consultation (see consultation document attached):

Scarborough Library – core library - Cllr John Ritchie

Filey Library – hybrid library - Cllr Sam Cross

Whitby Library – hybrid library - Cllr Joe Plant

Eastfield Library – community managed library – Cllr Tony Randerson

Scalby Library – community managed library – Cllrs Andrew Backhouse and Derek Bastiman

The committee considered North Yorkshire County Council’s current public consultation on its proposed changes to local Library Services with a view of submitting a response.  The County Council’s Stronger Communities Delivery Manager (Scarborough & District), Karen Atkinson first addressed the committee outlining the three types of library in the proposals – core, hybrid and community managed – and the extensive support, including financial and legal assistance, her team would provide to volunteers to enable them to realise their ambitions for their local library.  The core library would depend upon 30-40% volunteers, the hybrid would have one full time paid member of staff and the rest volunteers, whilst the community-managed library would be entirely managed by volunteers.  Dual-hatted councillors then related their local community’s feedback to the proposals and the committee commented accordingly:

Scarborough Library – core library – Cllr John Ritchie

Local users and organisations were concerned that not enough volunteers would come forward, and around the library’s sustainability and ongoing support it would receive from the County Council.  Reference was also made to the increasing importance of the library’s IT service for vulnerable people and people on benefits as universal credit (which was digital by default) was rolled out.  More generally, there was a growing difficulty in recruiting volunteers.

Eastfield Library – community-managed library – Cllr Tony Randerson

There were serious concerns shared by the Parish Council, users and staff that there was not enough volunteering capacity in Eastfield to sustain a community-managed library, and therefore that this important community hub would fold.  Reference was made to the levels of deprivation in Eastfield but also to the growing population because of the Middle Deepdale development and new housing in nearby Cayton.  This significant population increase, location of the library, and demand on library services at the least justified a hybrid library.  It would be easier to attract and organise volunteers if a full time paid member of staff remained at the library.

Filey Library – hybrid library - Cllr Sam Cross

There were similar fears that not enough volunteers would come forward.  Here was an important community hub which was at risk of reducing its services or even closing at a time of austerity and hardship when its services were needed most.

Whitby Library – hybrid library – Cllr Joe Plant

Cllr Plant could not be present at the meeting but expressed similar concerns about volunteer capacity and that by relying on a single paid member of staff, this may well put pressure on other parts of Library Services, when that staff member was absent on leave.

Scalby Library – community-managed library – Cllr Derek Bastiman

Given the size of the catchment and the population the library served, and the importance of its IT facilities in a catchment area where in places there was poor or no broadband access, it was not appropriate for it to become community-managed.  There was not sufficient volunteer capacity to sustain a community-managed library.  Unless it became a hybrid library, all the present trustees  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider a report by the Director of Democratic and Legal Services (Reference 15/38 attached)

The committee considered a report by the Director of Democratic and Legal Services (Reference 15/38) in relation to the committee’s work programme for the current year.  The Chairman reported on a very constructive meeting with the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive of York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust the previous week at which it was agreed that the Trust bring a report to the next meeting of the committee reviewing their progress since they acquired Scarborough Hospital three years ago.  He also suggested the committee consider the implications for the Borough of the recent County Council survey of school children, Growing up in North Yorkshire.  The committee also agreed to remove two items: canine attacks on guide dogs and changes in governance and operation of Botton Village.  RESOLVED that, subject to the above amendments, the report be received.