Agenda item

Report from Catherine Tickle, Commissioning Programme Manager attached.

Will Blandamer, Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning, advised that urology was the treatment of problems of the female urinary system and the male genitourinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and male reproductive organs.

He reported that the reconfiguration of urology services stemmed from the split of hospital services between Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and the Northern Care Allowance (NCA), which related to a small number of patients in Bury but demonstrated how the improved reconfiguration of a service could address the balance between a sustainable service with a critical mass of patients and issues regarding accessibility and access to services.

Catherine Tickle, Commissioning Programme Manager, advised that this reconfiguration represented the direction of travel for how the system could work more collectively and reflected ways of working discussed at a GM level. The advantage for Bury was that both urology sites would be run by the same organisation and so would be inherently more integrated.

Colleagues from the wider care system were coming together to look at the end to end pathway for patients and work collaboratively to develop a different way of working and of providing services. A Task and Finish Panel was reviewing pathways, delivery, inequalities, and inclusion. This multidisciplinary approach would ensure a better pathway with smoother or fewer ‘hand offs’, and Members noted there had been a real willingness for secondary care, GPs and community teams to come together and work differently, with some traditionally hospital-based services now proposed to be carried out in the community.

Councillor Walmsley queried where private practices fitted in, and Catherine Tickle advised that the desired pathway needed to be developed and validated, with providers (including private) then engaged to enable that patient journey.

Councillor Birchmore reported that urology problems were often experienced by older people and expressed concern that they would need to travel to Salford for care. Catherine Tickle responded that the number of services users affected was small, and they were currently travelling to North Manchester. The reconfiguration meant that more services would be delivered in the community to reduce the need for patients to travel, but third sector organisations were involved to consider how travel could be supported. It was noted that this was part of the scope of the Task and Finish Panel so would be fully considered.

Councillor Pilkington asked about the alignment with other trusts to ensure same care was provided throughout the locality and to prevent “postcode lotteries”. Catherine Tickle advised that CCGs and Trusts were working together to monitor the impact of the reconfiguration and how to ensure an equitable service. Will Blandamer reported that he would bring the service development strategy for the NCA to the Committee at a future meeting in order to discuss aggregation of services and the benefit of economies of scale.

Councillor Pilkington also asked what was being done to ensure GPs were aware of the different services available in order to refer patients to right area. Catherine Tickle responded that GPs were part of the system-approach to reconfiguring the service and would help shape what pathways and referrals would be available. She added that comms was a key part of any redesigned service and was part of the Task and Finish Panel’s remit.

It was agreed:

1.   That the service development strategy for the NCA come to a future meeting; and

2.   That the contents of the report be noted.