To receive a presentation from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), with regard to the following topics as set out in the work programme:
· Primary Care Provision in the Maldon District;
· General Practitioner (GP) Recruitment.
Guest Speakers:
Dr Julie McGeachy – The Dengie Medical Partnership
Daniel Doherty – NHS Mid Essex CCG
James Wilson - NHS Mid Essex CCG
Minutes:
On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman welcomed guest speakers Dr Julie McGeachy, Clinical Vice Chair, Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) / Senior Partner, Dengie Medical Partnership, and Mr James Wright, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Mid Essex CCG, to the meeting.
Dr McGeachy and Mr Wright provided Members with an update on the work of the CCG over the past twelve months, provided the following information on current and future projects:
· The CCG looked forward to working with Maldon District Council (MDC) to continuously improve service provision;
· The CCG was committed to the National Health Service (NHS) Long Term Plan. This includes educating the public on their health, prevention, and relevant lifestyle factors such as employment, housing and air quality.
·
It was acknowledged that MDC was also working with the plan by
promoting active lifestyles and weight management.
· Primary Care Foundations Project (Mid Essex)
§ Look to effectively utilise funding
§ Continue the recruitment of General Practitioners (GPs);
§ Diversify the offers available to the public and encourage them to see a relevant primary care specialist, such as a nurse or pharmacist, to release GPs appointments for more complex cases.
· NHS Long Term Plan (available on the NHS website)
§ Move away from traditional acute services to enable strong primary care and complimentary services;
§ Provide sustainable healthcare for the future by working on prevention.
§ Work towards social prescribing from clinical pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics etc;
§ Build up Primary Care Networks to form strong networking clusters and groups;
§ The Long Term Plan is expected to be fully embedded by May 2019.
§ Sharing resources between local practices to provide the best possible service.
· GP Recruitment
§ Acknowledged that recruitment was an ongoing problem;
§ From 2020, 50% of GPs’ in Essex would be eligible to retire, failure to recruit would adversely impact Maldon and the surrounding areas;
§ It takes 10 years for a GP to qualify;
§
The William Fisher Medical Centre, Southminster has become a
training practice, trainees will undertake 18 months at the centre,
and initially deal with no more than 6 patients a day.
The Committee was informed of a visit to Holland in October 2018 where progressive working has been identified and is currently being translated into working practice within the Dengie. Projects included the following:
· 15 Minute Project
§ A collaborative project between NHS England, LMC, CCG, and Neighbourhood Care.
§
If delivered, fewer consultations will be required. This could result in a more attractive offer and
aid the recruitment and retention of GPs.
· Neighbourhood Care
§ Neighbourhood Care aimed to create teams of care workers with set geographic areas. It was considered that this would allow consistency for patients and families.
The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, thanked the CCG for a comprehensive and informative presentation. The CCG provided the following information in response to Members questions:
· Section 106: A meeting would take place in March 2019 with the CCG’s Director of Estates. This would be an appropriate forum to discuss the potential spending of Section 106 funds.
· St Peter’s Hospital: A meeting to discuss the replacement of St Peter’s Hospital was expected to take place. By September 2019, it was hoped that development and site options would be agreed. Hospital visitors should be reassured that there was a commitment to ensure no disruption would occur to primary care services.
· Education of the public: The education of the general public was expected to free up GPs time for complex cases, as primary care could also be provided by a Nurse Practitioner.
Members suggested the inclusion of a flyer with the annual Council Tax Bill for raising public awareness. The Director of Resources advised that the deadline for inclusion this year has been missed. Members suggested that the CCG attend a September 2019 meeting of the Committee to discuss the inclusion of information with the 2020/2021 bill.
The CCG advised that by continuing to work with MDC on the Live Well Campaign and Health and Wellbeing Strategy would aid in tackling the current demands placed on the Health Service. More digital options should also be considered to help rural areas.
· Retention of General Practitioners: It was acknowledged by the CCG that recruiting and retaining GPs in coastal regions was very difficult. It was hoped that projects such as the “15 Minute Project” would help overcome this.
·
Communications campaigns: There are a number of
health projects being promoted at present. These are being promoted through various means
including screens in GP surgeries, posters, and social
media.
The Chairman thanked Dr McGeachy and Mr Wright for their detailed responses and ongoing work within the district.
RESOLVED
(i) That an invitation to the CCG would be sent for the November 2019 meeting of the Committee.