To receive a joint presentation by Mike Proctor (Deputy Chief Executive, YTHFT and Interim Chief Executive, SNEYHT) and James Hayward (Director of Facilities, SNEYHT)
Minutes:
The Committee received a verbal progress report by Mike Proctor, the Deputy Chief Executive of York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust (YTHFT), and the Interim Chief Executive of Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust (SNEYHT) on the integration of both organisations. Members were reminded that because of Government requirements to become a Foundation Trust and SNEYHT’s long standing financial difficulties and problems in clinical performance, the SNEYHT had approached YTHFT to consider the the acquisition of SNEYHT by YTHFT. On its own, YTHFT was a break even organisation, and SNEYHT a deficit organisation, therefore additional financial support would be needed to make the acquisition a success. Mr Proctor believed that in clinical terms, the benefits would be enormous, by pooling the expertise of both organisations, thereby making services more sustainable, and introducing stability into the management. This was not about centralising services in York, since York Teaching Hospital was already at capacity. Foundation Trust status would also engender greater accountability through patient and staff representation on the Board of Governors. The Integration Plan, Integrated Business Plan and Long Term Financial Plan for the new organisation would be submitted to the independent financial regulator, Monitor by October, and then Monitor would hold a meeting with the YTHFT Board in January 2012. Both Boards of the existing organisations would then take a final decision following the outcome of the Monitor meeting. Subject to the above, the new single organisation would come into being in April 2012. Various questions were then put to Mr Proctor:
Q: What are the threats to the integration not going ahead?
A: The YTHFT Board may reject the proposal because of the financial consequences, but he believes the acquisition is the way to secure the long term future of both hospitals. The larger the organisation, the more viable it becomes.
Q: Will the recent Mascie-Taylor review and the recommendation to reduce the number of hospital beds across North Yorkshire and York by 200 have implications for the integration?
A: How to manage the recommended reduction in hospital beds has yet to be decided, but if beds are to be lost, these should be in acute hospitals, not community hospitals, which he believes have a bright future.
Q: Why is YTHFT trying to acquire SNEYHT given its historical debt, critical Care Quality Commission reports, and problems with hospital acquired infection? And what is being done about the hospital acquired infection?
A: YTHFT has a track record of delivering quality services and can improve healthcare delivery in Scarborough and the surrounding area. SNEYHT has previously struggled because of the healthcare system, but York has resources to help Scarborough. However, given the levels of debt, this cannot be achieved without financial support from the centre. Hospital acquired infection statistics have shown improvement. There has been only one MRSA bloodstream infection this year at Scarborough Hospital and the Trust is on course to achieve its target of under 40 C. Difficile cases. However, he recognises that the Trust is going to have to make changes, and then embed them to win patients’ confidence.
Q: Is the reduction in patient choice as a consequence of the acquisition an issue?
A: This is not an issue because of the rurality of the area concerned and the existing limited choice. He believes it is not the choice that matters to people, but rather that their local hospital is good.
Q: Why has the Pain Clinic at Scarborough Hospital been closed?
A: This was a commissioning issue, not a provider issue. The commissioning body believed that closing the clinic was an appropriate use of NHS resources.
Q: Looking into the future, how will the new organisation be affected by market forces in the healthcare economy?
A: Historically, work in Whitby has drifted north to Middlesbrough, and work in Bridlington has drifted south to the East Riding. The new Trust will aspire to offer as good a service as South Tees and East Riding, and so win patients back.
The Chairman thanked Messrs Proctor and Hayward for their attendance and invited them back to the Committee’s meeting on 25 January 2012 for a further update.
RESOLVED that the report be received.