Tameside LINk is giving everybody the opportunity to ask questions of local health and social care leaders. So far we have submitted your questions to PauI Connellan, the new new Chair of Tameside Hospital and Raj Patel, Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group.
If you would like to submit a question for Councillor Lynn Travis, Executive Member (Adult’s Services), please contact Ruth Madden, LINk Community Networker, Tel: 0161 339 4985 Email: ruth.madden@t3sc.org by 20 June 2012.
Raj Patel, Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group
Questions:
As Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group, what are you going to do to make sure that, compared with the PCT, more money is spent on care delivery and less is spent on admin and management?
As Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group, what are you going to do to make sure that, compared with the PCT, more money is spent on care delivery and less is spent on admin and management?
The NHS is delivering significant reductions in management costs overall (40% reduction on 2010/11 values). The CCG will deliver an element of these savings working in a nationally determined operating cost of £25 per head of population.
If the Health Bill fails and Clinical Commissioning Groups are not set up, what are you going to do to make sure that the work that the Shadow Clinical Commissioning Group has done so far leads to better care for people in Tameside?
If the Health Bill fails and Clinical Commissioning Groups are not set up, what are you going to do to make sure that the work that the Shadow Clinical Commissioning Group has done so far leads to better care for people in Tameside?
We know the Bill has passed into law and we are preparing for what is called ‘authorisation’ which will involve us developing and presenting plans for commissioning better care for people in Tameside and Glossop.
It is suggested that Clinical Commissioning Groups have public representation at Board level. How do you think this can be achieved in a way that is accountable to local people but doesn’t compromise Local HealthWatch’s independence?
We recognise we must not compromise Local HealthWatch and in discussion with Peter Denton for example, understand LHW does not wish to ‘appoint’ to the Board of the CCG. We will develop a range of mechanisms to ensure local accountability to our public, for example:
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A Board Level lay advisor role with specific responsibility for overseeing our work.
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Strengthening our joint commissioning with our Local Authority partners.
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Supporting member GP Practices work with and through their Patient Participation Groups.
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Requiring evidence of public engagement in our commissioning plans.
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Working formally and informally with the Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs).
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Continuing to build on our very positive relationship with the Consumer Advisory Panel.
In addition to working in partnership with Local HealthWatch, what plans does the Clinical Commissioning Group have to meet the statutory duty to consult and engage with local people?
Please see above
What plans does the Clinical Commissioning Group have to make sure that patient experience data collected by Local HealthWatch is used to monitor and assess the quality of the services that the CCG commissions?
What plans does the Clinical Commissioning Group have to make sure that patient experience data collected by Local HealthWatch is used to monitor and assess the quality of the services that the CCG commissions?
The CCG proposes to continue to build on the predecessor PCT Locality Quality Committee. We very much wish the LHW to be an active member and bring the intelligence to the table as the LINK has done to-date.
With so many health professionals bodies, including the Royal Colleges opposed to the NHS reforms. Could you let us know what you consider to be the advantages and disadvantages to these reforms?
With so many health professionals bodies, including the Royal Colleges opposed to the NHS reforms. Could you let us know what you consider to be the advantages and disadvantages to these reforms?
The professional bodies largely supported the principle of clinically led commissioning throughout, and we too see that plans/decisions about services to improve health and wellbeing locally are best driven by a clinical community representing its public/patients and working in partnership.
As the Local Medical Committee covers both Tameside and Oldham (i.e. what was once the West Pennine Health Authority) do you see any scope for Tameside and Oldham CCGs becoming one or at least sharing resources?
As the Local Medical Committee covers both Tameside and Oldham (i.e. what was once the West Pennine Health Authority) do you see any scope for Tameside and Oldham CCGs becoming one or at least sharing resources?
We see greater strength in working with our public/partners in commissioning locally in Tameside and Glossop and do not see scope for becoming a single CCG with Oldham. All CCGs will develop a relationship with commissioning support services in order to both to focus on clinically led commissioning, and get the most from our operating cost allowance of £25php.
When, if ever, will the management of Tameside Hospital acknowledge there are problems in the methodology used to run the hospital and help the various concerned groups to improve the care and statutory entitlements of patients? When can people in Tameside expect to see an end to the ‘us’ and ‘them’ attitudes, which is very apparent at this time?
When, if ever, will the management of Tameside Hospital acknowledge there are problems in the methodology used to run the hospital and help the various concerned groups to improve the care and statutory entitlements of patients? When can people in Tameside expect to see an end to the ‘us’ and ‘them’ attitudes, which is very apparent at this time?
This question is better put to the management of Tameside General Hospital. However, it is important to say we are very committed to working in partnership with them.
Paul Connellan, Chair at Tameside Hospital
Questions:
Why since the new building has opened have waiting times far extended a reasonable time - especially the Diabetic Clinic and sometimes the coronary clinic?
Waiting times are not linked to locations they are a feature of demand for the service and the availability of the clinical team. The Hospital’s waiting times compare favourably with other providers and the Trust’s rapid access heart clinic continues to see 100% of patients within two weeks.
Considering the interests of the overall smooth and efficient working of the emergency system why are ambulance paramedics left waiting in casualty for hours before they can hand over their patients?
On arrival ambulance staff hand over patients to a senior nurse. There can be delays with this if all the nurses are busy with other emergency patients in the department but this is a key national standard that is monitored closely and on which we always strive to improve.
We want to support you to develop Tameside as a great hospital that serves the local population very well. We’re disappointed that our 'Enter and View' reports show little progress on the recommendations we made in 2010. What plans do you have to address the concerns we have raised? How can the LINk help you in your role?
The Trust is committed to continuous improvement of its services. LINk reports make valuable observations about specific aspects of service, which we are committed to. The Trust has systems and processes in place to raise standards. At a more strategic level, LINk is represented on our Council of Governors through Tameside Third Sector Coalition’s nominated appointment, and can also make a contribution to our agenda by this route.
How do you intend to implement our 2010 recommendation that ‘Leadership at the highest levels within the hospital must be seen to drive improvements at the hospital and must take responsibility for engaging with the communities they serve’? Our experience suggests that the leadership is willing to listen but that changes in patient experience appear to be limited.
I think the hospital has a good track record in engagement, holding many public meetings, and providing forums for local people and employees to become involved in the work of the Trust. You are right that the leadership is willing to listen. We need to keep working on the patient experience issues with the aim of getting it right every time.
Many of the issues highlighted by our 'Enter and View' work should be picked up the hospital’s internal audits and monitoring processes but this doesn’t appear to happen consistently. How do you propose to address this?
We are refreshing our audit processes during 2012 and our aim is to ensure that the measures we use accurately reflect what goes on at clinical level. Please ask this question again in a years time.
Do you have any explanations for the most recent mortality stats at Tameside Hospital?
LINk members will be aware that on the previous measures the hospital had achieved a marked improvement in the statistics. At the moment both the hospital and the Strategic Health Authority are looking at where the major differences are with this new measure. For the hospital the most important thing is not the relative statistics but how well we look after the people who come to us needing treatment.
As a new Chair, what do you think you bring to the hospital that will help to make improvements there and what difference do you expect to make?
The Governors have told me that they wanted to bring more outside commercial experience to the Board and at the same time have a new view as to how things were done.
There is no doubt that over the next few years Tameside and indeed the whole NHS is going to have to think in completely new ways about how they do things. The demographic changes in society will increase demand at a time when financial resources are at best going to be tight and at worst will provide less cash. We will need to look at every service we provide and think about how we can do it differently. I would hope that I would provide the catalyst for that by constantly asking why we do things in a particular way.
My track record in non NHS organisations is about improving customer service. I would aim to do the same thing here so that people see Tameside as the model of how services should be provided.
Inconsistency in the delivery of care is something that we see and hear about quite often. How do you propose to address this?
I don’t have an immediate answer to this question. Consistency of service is about a thousand little things. What Jan Carlson called in his book 'Moments of Truth'. I propose to spend the next few months looking at every aspect of the services we provide to see what the problem areas are and how we can address them.
How will you ensure that you, along with other members of the Foundation Trust’s Board, will be clearly and openly accountable to the public – both as patients and as the people whose taxes fund the NHS?
The Bill currently going through Parliament very specifically puts a duty on the Governors to hold the Board to account. We are currently thinking about the training and procedures that will be required to make this new duty meaningful.
At the same time one of the special aspects of being a Foundation Trust is the membership. I see the open membership meetings, which we will be holding in January, February and March in each constituency, as an opportunity for existing and potential members of the Trust to raise any issues they wish with the Council of Governors. I would like to use this opportunity to a) ask any readers of this article who are not members of the trust already to become one immediately and b) urge all members to attend their local meetings. For more information and to become a member see the Foundation Trust's website.
