Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from the following Members:

Councillor I. Gregory;

Councillor Falcon;

Councillor Wells.

To receive any declarations of interest. Members are advised to consider the advice contained within the Declaration of Interest form attached at the back of this agenda. If a Member declares an interest, they should complete that form and hand it to the officer clerking the meeting and then take the prescribed course of action.

There were no declarations received at the meeting.

To approve the Minutes of the QEQM Hospital Cabinet Advisory Group meeting held on 21 April 2016, copy attached.

Councillor Matterface proposed, Councillor L. Fairbrass seconded and Members agreed the minutes to be a correct record of the meeting held on 21 April 2016.

Covering report to follow.

Councillor Game, Chairman of the cabinet advisory group introduced the item for debate and advised that Hazel Carpenter would be joining the meeting later to provide a brief overview of the public consultation currently underway. Members made the following comments in relation to the survey questionnaire:

·  The survey was too complex for the public, in view of the fact that there was a high percentage of the elderly population that would struggle with the questions;

·  The questionnaire was full of jargon;

·  A number of people in Thanet were not computer literate;

·  The questionnaire will discourage residents from taking part;

·  Will the Ebbsfleet development disadvantage other areas like Thanet?

Hazel Carpenter then joined the meeting and addressed Members of the sub group highlighting the key changes that were being proposed for a new approach to delivering health and social care services in Kent and Medway. Ms Carpenter raised the following points about the reform process:

·  There were significant challenges nationally for the national health services which was experiencing budget deficits, employment & retention challenges and increased demand for services;

·  There was a need to understand how these services could be structured locally;

·  CCG has to evidence that they have consulted widely on any options for change;

·  The National Health Service (NHS) has now been divided into 44 Sustainable Transformation Plans (STPs) and Thanet sits within to the Kent & Medway STP;

·  Whilst East Kent had already started work on transformation models, West and North Kent were not yet ready to consult;

·  Most people would like to be cared for in their homes but still retaining access to specialist services;

·  Thanet CCG is developing how local care should look.

Workforce planning:

·  The east Kent Case for Change highlights the challenges in locally recruiting adequate number of doctors and other key staff;

·  The NHS was increasingly relying on para-medics. There is therefore a need to plan for it;

·  Plans were underway for a bid for a medical school for Kent and Medway led by the local Universities working together.

What Next:

·  January/ February publication of a Kent and Medway case for change

·  On-going development of service models for care locally, in hospital settings, for mental health and to ensure poor health is prevented;

·  Development of options for any identified significant change;

·  Development of evaluation criteria with clinicians, patients and public against which to assess the options;

·  Potential consultation in 2017 no earlier than June 2017.

Ms Carpenter suggested that she could come back to the sub group at key points in the critical path to consultation and in response Members AGREED to hold a meeting as indicated by the critical path. She further reported that Thanet CCG had won a national award for the innovative work it was undertaking on coming up with new ways of working and delivering health and social care services to local residents. Ms Carpenter attributed this success to the good work being done by the local GPs with the nursing and social care staff who work alongside them locally.

Ms  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.