Provision of Health Care Services within the District
To receive an update from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Mr Robert Evans, Head of Operational Care from Mid-Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and Dr Julie McGeachy, General Practitioner (GP) at Dengie Medical Partnership and Clinical Director of the Dengie Primary Care Network, to the Committee.
Mr Evans passed on apologies from Ms Kerry Harding, Director of Estates for CCGs in Mid & South Essex.
Both Mr Evans and Dr McGeachy delivered the following information to the Committee:
·
NHS Long Term Plan is a ten-year investment plan which aims on
expanding and developing primary and community services.
· Primary Care Network (PCN):
o Groups of GPs with a population of 40-50,000 as an ideal, in order to retain a personal touch.
o
There are five PCNs within Mid-Essex, one of which is in the
Dengie. These were formed 1 July
2019. Surgeries were formed to work
together on an integrated basis in order
to develop services and provide additional resource and
linked into voluntary organisations, in addition to developing the
role of clinical pharmacists.
· Priorities for 2019/20:
o PCN Cycle – aims to identify and inform the public of alternative primary care workers, such as physiotherapists, nurses, pharmacists etc. This would be expected to release extra capacity to GPs for patients with more complex needs.
o Additional capacity would be enabled through two services:
§ Extended Access Service (from October 2018):- This service is year-round including bank-holidays and weekends, and designed to provide additional capacity, creating around 738 additional appointments per week across the area. These are provided by four permanent hubs across Maldon, once of which is located at the Blackwater Medical Centre.
§ Enhanced hours:- Practices were looking to extend their opening hours, i.e. opening an hour earlier or closing an hour later. Every practice within the area has identified a way to accommodate this.
o It is expected the integration of services would provide a more holistic approach.
o
CCG have been consulting with NHS England and is one of five to
have formed a Sustainability
and Transformation Partnership (STP).
· Maldon District and Dengie:
o There is a population of approximately 55-56000 people.
o There are seven practices within the area which offer primary care, these are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
o The CCG identified five outstanding practices, of which three are located within Mid-Essex. Two of these are situated within the Dengie.
o
Quality of service within the district is
considered to be very good; a patient survey showed they
were broadly satisfied, however there were concerns regarding
access to GPs.
· Staffing of General Practices:
o Last year the Mid Essex CCG reinvested over £2.5million invested into primary care, for surgeries to use as they see fit.
o
The CCG are currently working towards a broader skill mix to
navigate problems and identify the right care for
patients.
· Estates:
o The Trinity Medical Practice, Dengie: additional capital had been confirmed with a view to develop the site
o William Fisher Medical Centre: the site is likely to stay, and ... view the full minutes text for item 334