To receive a presentation by Simon Cox, Chief Officer, Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group.
Minutes:
The committee received a presentation by Simon Cox, Chief Officer of Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group on a new significant, long term programme of work to transform health and social care in Scarborough, Ryedale, Bridlington and Filey, supported by the organisations with health and social care responsibilities in the area, including Scarborough Borough Council. The programme termed Ambition for Health covered the three main aspects of health and care: healthy lifestyles, care at home, and sustainable services. Healthy lifestyles focused on prevention, better self-care, improving emotional health (better mental health services), and on listening to and shifting power to patients and the public. Care at home involved ensuring people returned home from hospital as soon as they were fit and ready to do so, more community services, better alignment of services, and supporting people to have more choice about where they die. Sustainable services was about securing a sustainable future for Scarborough Hospital, providing services of the expected quality and safety within budget, and recruiting, retaining and developing the right people for the right roles. Among the key factors which had prompted the need for change – changing health needs, poor health outcomes in deprived areas, financial pressures, and workforce pressures – the largest problem locally was the inability to recruit and retain clinical staff. Mr Cox gave the example of two services which could no longer be delivered sustainably at Scarborough Hospital: hyper acute care for stroke patients and the breast care clinic. At York Hospital an improved service could be provided because of better facilities and a larger team of consultants. Members then put questions to Mr Cox. In reply, he envisaged in twenty years’ time a hospital in Scarborough providing urgent and emergency care, obstetrics, paediatrics, good access to diagnostics, and more intermediate and day care surgery. He acknowledged that as more patients from the local area were referred to York Hospital for operations, there was a need to provide more support for patients to remain in touch with their relatives and for advocacy on patients’ behalf. He commended the recent progress in putting mental health on a par with physical health in the delivery of services, for example, psychiatric liaison in the Emergency Department at Scarborough Hospital, and the Section 136 Place of Safety at Cross Lane Hospital, but recognised there was some way to travel in changing the culture across the NHS. The CCG’s target was to spend no less on mental health services this year than the last, and there was allocated funding available for specific projects such as tackling eating disorders, but no funding on a large scale dedicated to improving mental health. Mr Cox confirmed that North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board was a key partner in the implementation of the programme which mirrored the priorities of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Finally, Mr Cox commented on the issue of inappropriate combinations of medication prescribed to patients which in some cases could lead to falls, as highlighted in a recent medical review of care homes in Ryedale. Whilst individual prescriptions were not at fault, there was a collective impact to be taken into account. The Chairman thanked Mr Cox for his presentation and answering the committee’s questions.
RESOLVED that the presentation be received.