Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Programme Director Knutsford Project. (to follow)

The Committee considered a report of Andy Bacon, Programme Director, on the Knutsford Integrated Health and Wellbeing Centre project.  

The project was based on an aspiration to achieve greater integration between health and social care.  The project aimed to create a Health and Wellbeing Centre that was a purpose designed and built facility housing GPs and other professions and services in one building.  This would involve the co-location of 2 – 3 GP practices on a single site which would enable extended primary care supported by hospital specialists, access to therapy services (ie physiotherapy, speech and language, occupational therapy etc), community and social care services and diagnostic facilities, such as imaging and pathology and potentially other services such as pharmacy. 

There were other planned changes in Knutsford, namely an application by East Cheshire NHS Trust to become a Foundation Trust, which was a statutory requirement of the process as set out by Monitor; and the proposed permanent closure of the Tatton Ward, an intermediate care ward consisting of 18 beds at the Bexton Hospital site. 

The scheme would be funded through a procurement process to appoint a developer who would receive income from guaranteed rent for GP and integrated services; and income from rent from other tenants (non NHS) who may occupy the building.  The procurement process would be a joint public sector procurement that would be led by the NHS Commissioning Board and NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group and involving other public sector interested parties.  The engagement and consultation process would need to be coordinated with the procurement process so that public views could be taken into account before irrevocable procurement decisions were made.  Mr Bacon emphasised the need to make progress while financial decisions were in the hands of the PCT cluster; in the future such decisions may be made at a national level meaning it could be difficult to progress local priorities in a competitive environment.

Mr Bacon explained that at this stage of the process he was seeking views on how to engage and consult rather than on the proposals themselves.  There had been a number of consultation and engagement exercises around health and wellbeing in the Knutsford area over recent months including the Council’s consultation on Building Based services, meetings organised by Knutsford Town Council, meetings with the local MP and on-going discussions with the Town Council and the local group Knutsford Area for Knutsford Action.  He outlined various options for consultation and engagement with his preferred option being Option 5, which incorporated proposals for the closure of Tatton Ward with the clinical model, with the consultation on Foundation Trust status being separate.  

In discussing the report, Members of the Committee made the following comments:

      That the consultation process should be wide ranging and open minded to encourage views to be expressed;

      Clarification was sought about what services had been provided on the Tatton Ward?  In response, Val Aherne explained that Tatton Ward had 18 beds and provided intermediate care through nursing staff and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7