Agenda item

The Chief Executive reported that three questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

 

1.           Question by Mrs. Rosita Page CC:

 

My question relates to the Building Better Hospitals proposals and the £450 million reconfiguration plans. It has come to my attention that University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups have been requested by the National Hospital Building Programme Team (NHSE) to re-submit the proposals and include an option costing no more than £400 million. Is this correct and if so what are the next steps for the reconfiguration programme? Will a further public consultation be required to take place? What are the implications, if any, for Community Services redesign?

 

Reply by the Chairman:

 

I have forwarded your question to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and they have provided me with the following answer:

 

“As one of the 8 national New Hospital Programme, (NHP), ‘Pathfinder’ schemes, we have been asked by the NHP team to look at a range of approaches to how we go about building new hospitals in Leicester.

There are three scenarios we have been asked to consider:

 

1. An option that fits the Trust’s initial capital allocation of £450m in 2019;

2. The Trust’s preferred option;

3. A phased approach to delivery of the preferred option.

 

The Leicester scheme has remained almost exactly as described three years ago at the time of the initial capital allocation, however some of the parameters we are expected to meet when we build the new hospitals have changed significantly; for example the percentage of single rooms versus open wards, the amount of money expected to be set aside for contingency and the requirement to make the buildings ‘net zero carbon’. We have therefore submitted indicative plans which illustrate what can be achieved within the original allocation, our preferred option and a phased approach which would deliver the preferred option albeit over a longer time scale.

We recognise that it is a necessary part of the process for colleagues in the NHP to challenge each of the Pathfinder schemes on both deliverability and value for money.”

 

Separately, as you will know we have arranged, at Cllr Kitterick’s request, an informal briefing of JHOSC Chair and Vice Chairs (Leics County and Rutland), on this same subject, which is due to take place on the 6^th of September.”

 

2.           Question by Mrs. Rosita Page CC:

 

Please could you tell me what arrangements are in place for liaison between the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Harborough District Council and Leicestershire County Council regarding the health needs of the Lutterworth area. In particular could you clarify the role and remit of the ‘Lutterworth Locality Group’ and other similar groups in Leicestershire and provide Terms of Reference for those groups if applicable? Have representatives from Harborough District Council or Leicestershire County Council been invited to attend meetings of the Lutterworth Locality Group?

 

Reply by the Chairman:

 

I have forwarded your question to the Clinical Commissioning Groups and they have provided me with the following answer:

 

“The LLR CCGs are working with local partners and communities to develop a plan for Lutterworth to assess and improve the health needs of people in and around Lutterworth now and in the future. The overarching aim of the plan is to respond to the significant housing growth expected in the area over the coming years and ensure that solutions are identified to support the impact upon Primary and Community-based health services. The development of the plan is being co-ordinated by a Lutterworth Plan Steering Group comprising of NHS organisations, the district, county and town councils, local GPs Practices, members of the local community and other stakeholders.

 

In addition, LLR CCGs are also working closely with colleagues at Leicestershire County Council upon the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy which will cover all of Leicestershire including the Lutterworth area, identifying high level priorities to address and improve the health outcomes for the population.

 

Please see attached the agreed terms of reference for the Lutterworth Plan Steering group, which details the context, responsibilities, and membership of the group.

 

In addition to the Terms of Reference, we have attached a document which provides details of the current membership of the Lutterworth Plan steering group including the themes/areas of work that will be included.

 

We are currently in discussion with Harborough District Council, who are in the process of identifying which elected member(s) will be joining the group. It has been suggested that we could also invite elected members from Leicestershire County Council, but these discussions have not yet taken place.”

 

3.           Question by Mrs. A. J. Hack CC

 

In Braunstone Division, we currently have 2 GP practices that serve the population, Kingsway and Forest House Medical, they are both part of the North Blaby Primary Care Network (PCN).  Forest House Medical Practice, operates across 2 sites, one in Braunstone Town and one in Leicester Forest East.  There is currently a proposal out for consultation for Forest House Medical Practice to close the services it operates on Park Drive and replace this with a service in Lubbesthorpe, which is causing concern for the many patients that are registered with the practice, many of whom live close to the Park Drive site. 

 

1.           As we now have PCN’s in place, its concerning that the consultation to close a facility is still localised to be managed by a single GP site.  What strategic evaluation has been completed by the CCG and PCN about the patients, where they live and whether they can manage to access services at Warren Lane and the new proposed Lubbesthorpe site? What role has the PCN undertaken in the consultation?

 

2.           The population of Braunstone Town as an existing community currently utilising services are now facing a service re-location much further away, so a new service can be built in Lubbesthorpe.  These services are being built to service ‘growth’ at a detriment to patients in Braunstone Town.  What consideration has been given to the older population that live in my division, what they need now and in the future and what impact this change will have on them?

 

3.           At the moment North Blaby PCN consists of 5 practices, what allowances have been given to accommodation patients who might wish to transfer to Kingsway in light of this change?

 

Reply by the Chairman:

 

The Chairman stated that a response had been sought from the Clinical Commissioning Groups but it had not yet been received in time for the meeting. A written response would be provided to Mrs. Hack CC after the meeting.