‘Healthier Together' plans aim to improve services like those provided at your GP surgery, community-based services and hospital care (all as effect the people of Whitefield/Unsworth). Representatives from NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS Bury CCG) will explain the proposals and gather feedback from people living in Whitefield/Unsworth.
Minutes:
Stuart North and Howard Hughes attended the meeting to explain the current Healthier Together consultation and to ask those present for their comments and feedback on the proposals. The time for responses had been extended until 24 October and online up to 30 October.
It was explained that the way in which healthcare was provided across Greater Manchester was undergoing change. The three areas that were affected were:-
· GP services
· Health and Social Care
· Specialist Surgery (Abdomen and Bowel)
Work is currently taking place to look at how services between health and social care could be integrated. It was reported that some schemes were already in place to bridge the gaps. This ongoing work is bringing together lots of different organisations to provide joined up services across health and social care and bring more community based services to people outside of a hospital based setting.
The current consultation is asking all Greater Manchester residents to look at the different options for specialist hospital services (relating to abdomen and bowel surgery) across the conurbation and give feedback on them.
It was explained that there were currently hospitals providing specialisms in areas such as stroke and heart surgery and these would not change. All hospitals that currently had an Accident and Emergency department would continue to have one and the changes being consulted on would effect a very small number of patients but would improve the service they received and help save lives.
The consultation was asking for views on which of the eight options set out was preferred. Copies of the consultation questionnaire were available at the meeting.
Questions and comments were invited and the following issues were raised:
· In welcoming the proposals shouldn’t more be done to focus on preventative care instead of reactive care? – Work is ongoing to widen social care and to identify those people who are likely to become ill in the future. Action will be taken to prevent any decline in health. We will monitor people who live on their own. We know these are the people without regular social contact will become ill.
· Will action be taken to address the relationship between bed closures and the need for primary and social care outside of hospital? We need to improve primary and social care and A&E services before and bed reductions are considered.
· When will bed closures happen? – a decision will be made at some point next year (probably in the summer) and then implementation will take place the following g year.
· Will specialist service site be affected under the proposals? These are the responsibility of NHS England and they are not part of the consultation.
· Why was more information not included in the pack. I feel semi informed. It appears that some hospitals are competing and you are looking to the public to decide who gets what.- More information can be found on the web site under the pre consultation business case which is 2000 pages long. This process is not a vote to decide what happens it’s a consultation and what people think.
· Based what you have said on the specialist services not available at Fairfield does this mean that Fairfield is not a good hospital? Fairfield can’t operate on brain issues and that is why a specialist centre will be appointed. This will allow staff specialising in a particular area to have access to more patients rather than just a few patients over a long period. Standards of care for the services provided will not be reduced in any way. Some services may be changed but overall standards will be raised.
· I don’t feel it’s acceptable having personal experience of the changes that have taken place resulting in follow up visits involving numerous consultants. - We will be monitoring standards constantly to ensure they do not fall to an unacceptable level. Issues such as follow up visits will be done in future by GPs.
· Has this been done anywhere else or are you taking a leap of faith?
We are the first to go down this line and many may follow in the future.
The Chair thanked Mr North and Mr Hughes for their attendance and presentation.