Meeting documents

+ Cllr Richard Brooks - Chairman

+ Cllr Bruce Mansell - Vice-Chairman

+ Present

Also present:     Councillors Cindy Ferguson, Chris Pitt, Audrey Roxburgh and David Whitcroft.

PART I

(public)

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 25th March 2004 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman welcomed the following guest speakers to the meeting:

Kathryn Stuart (Frimley Park Hospital Trust) and Dr Steven Williams (Heatherside Surgery).

The Chairman proposed that the Committee focuses on main partners in the first instance and that Committee Members act as prime contacts in areas in which they have an interest or expertise. The Committee agreed to adopt this and to ask those members to provide regular brief updates at Committee meetings.

The Chairman reported that the Working Group on Outside Bodies had a number of outstanding tasks. It was agreed that the Working Group be re-established with the same membership. Members noted that the previous membership had been Councillors Richard Brooks (Chairman), Fran Bennie and Bill Chapman and that, subject to the Working Group being re-appointed, a meeting had been arranged for 17th June 2004.

RESOLVED, That

Kathryn Stuart reported that following a positive result in a major consultation, the Frimley Park Hospital Trust had submitted an application for Foundation status. She outlined the current scale of operations at the Hospital, including partnership arrangements with the Ministry of Defence, and indicated some of the major improvements to services provided by the Hospital in recent years.

All Hospital Trusts will have Foundation status by 2008. They will enjoy more freedom from Government control, whilst remaining within the NHS, being subject to NHS safeguards and treating NHS patients. Amongst the freedoms which will accrue from Foundation status is the ability to borrow.

It is intended that, through Foundation status, Trusts would be able to work more closely with the community to develop services in a way that will best suit the needs of patients. This process will include local people becoming members of the Foundation Trust and, from that membership, elect representatives to a Council of Governors, which will also include members of staff and representatives of Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities.

Whilst day to day management would remain with managers, the introduction of Foundation Trust members and the Council of Governors would make strategic management much more informed.

The catchment area for the Trust would, based on current patient usage data, include the whole of the Borough with the exception of Chobham, where residents were more frequently treated at St Peter’s Hospital.

In response to Members questions, Ms Stuart confirmed that the Trust application for Foundation status would depend amongst other factors on its financial viability. Concerns had been expressed that outstanding sums owed to the Trust could adversely impact on its application, as these could keep the budget position outside acceptable parameters.

Whilst the Trust would gain greater borrowing power enabling the introduction of new services, robust business plans would be required and if any service proved unprofitable, the Trust would cut back and move into other demand areas.

The Chairman thanked Kathryn Stuart for her comprehensive presentation and voiced Members interest in the outcome of the Foundation status application.

Dr Steven Williams, a general practitioner from the Heatherside Surgery and a GP representative on the Surrey Heath and Woking Primary Care Trust (PCT) gave a presentation on the PCT and the impact on GPs of the various changes in practice, resulting from its introduction.

In addition to himself as a full time GP, Dr Williams had two part time colleagues. Between them, they were responsible for some 3,700 patients. He reported that the purpose of the PCT and GP surgeries was to provide patient centred care that delivered real outcomes. He was encouraged by the breaking down of boundaries leading to much closer work with secondary care colleagues. He emphasised the benefits of being in the catchment area of a hospital of the quality of Frimley Park and noted PCT support for the Foundation status application.

In respect of challenges facing GPs, Dr Williams cited the following:

In terms of future developments, Dr Williams suggested that most patients would be treated under primary care. PCTs would need to consider where funding is allocated and they would need to champion cross-boundary cover.

In response to Member questions, Dr Williams noted difficulties in recruitment had been influenced by a number of factors. General practice had undersold itself. Work was more bureaucratic and onerous and GPs were being asked to work longer hours for less pay in comparison to secondary care colleagues.

Whilst PCTs were encouraging GPs to deal with minor surgical treatment, significant resources were being funnelled into NHS Direct for no discernible benefit to patients.

Information technology in GP practices tended to be more advanced than their hospital equivalents. There was much better direct access to laboratories which did tests for GPs and better links were being developed across primary and secondary care.

Both PCTs, as commissioners of care, and hospital trusts as providers would need to be more aware of patients views, particularly with the demise of community health councils. It was always possible that PCTs and Foundation Hospitals would differ in their views on care provision.

Dr Williams indicated that GPs had confidence in PCTs and that, in his view, the current Surrey Heath and Woking PCT was sufficiently robust to continue to operate in its current form. He agreed to act as a conduit for Members and Officers looking to see how the Council could both assist and work better in partnership with the PCT as a whole and general practitioners in the Borough in particular.

The Chairman thanked Dr Williams for his informative presentation and particularly welcomed his offer to act as a link between GPs and the Council.

At the 17th December 2004 meeting of the Council, the following motion was moved by Councillor Duncan Clark and seconded by Councillor Alan Whittart. (minute 049(iv)/C refers):

“In view of the apparent deteriorating Youth Services provided by Surrey County Council, this Council requests the Executive to establish a joint working group with the Youth Council and Surrey County Council with terms of reference to:

Pursuant to Standing Order 8(6), the Mayor advised that this motion would stand referred to the County Council's Surrey Heath Local Committee for consideration and report.  However, the motion was withdrawn at that meeting. It was subsequently raised again during Portfolio question time at the Council on 21st April 2004 and referred to this Committee to progress (minute 087/C refers).

The Committee noted certain Members concerns over delays in addressing this issue, since the motion was originally moved in December 2003, and the view that Surrey County Council had neither the resources nor the will to progress this matter. Members expressed particular concern at the lack of apparent short, medium or long term action in relation to gangs of youths ‘hanging around’

The Chairman reported that Councillor Bob Smith had agreed to look into this issue in depth on behalf of the Committee. He proposed that any Member with an interest in this issue should contact Councillor Smith to assist him with the project.

It was noted that the Committee was due to receive a presentation from the police community support officers at the next meeting, scheduled for 14th September 2004. It was suggested that a report be presented to that meeting and that, in addition, Joel Bailey a Surrey County Council Youth Worker based in Bisley, be invited to attend and make a presentation on possible steps which could be taken to address the areas of concern  voiced by local residents.

RESOLVED, That

Members noted the work programme for the municipal year, agreed at the last meeting of the previous year (minute 018/EP refers). Given the Committee decision to focus in the first instance on the Council’s major partners (minute 002/EP refers), it was agreed to retain the programme for 14th September 2004 and to develop the programme further as the year progressed.

CHAIRMAN