Agenda item

11:20

A briefing is attached on the proposed relocation of stroke rehabilitation beds in Witney to Abingdon Community Hospital (JHO7). Consultation with staff is planned for September.

Dominic Hardisty, Chief Operating Officer, Oxford Health Foundation Trust and Sara Bolton, Allied Professional from Older People’s Directorate, Oxford Health Foundation Trust attended for this item. The Chairman welcomed them to the meeting.

The Chairman began by expressing the Committee’s concern that the Toolkit process to ascertain whether the proposals were a significant change in service or not, had not been followed in this case. Dominic Hardisty explained the rationale to the proposals, as set out in the paper JHO7, which was that by amalgamating specialist medical/therapy services into one unit in the county, (based in Abingdon), this would allow a higher level of identity and provide a fully dedicated stroke unit with 20 beds.

The Committee asked Kate Terroni, Director for Adult Services, OCC, how the proposals aligned with Social Care in relation to the principle of patients being placed closer to home. She stated that, having discussed the proposals with Oxford Health, she had ascertained that there would be no real impact on Adult Social Care and she could therefore support the proposals.

A member brought the Committee’s attention to the concerns of staff working at Witney Hospital. She feared that the proposals were not in their infancy, as some stroke therapists had already left their jobs through their own choice. This had led to some insecurities amongst other support staff working at Witney. Dominic Hardisty responded that the Trust was working on how to support staff more in circumstances such as these, to accord with specialist training guidelines.

With regard to the point made about the apparent pre-empting of Part 2 proposals relating to the Oxfordshire Transformation Plan and delivering a ‘fait accompli’, without proceeding through the Toolkit process, Dominic Hardisty stated that the Trust was continually changing and improving services and a judgement needed to be made about what proposals needed to come before the Committee and how to do this. He assured members of the Committee that the Trust had tried to be open and transparent about its aims for this service.

They also pointed out that the proposals were for community-based rehabilitation for patients – which was a sub-speciality. It was not therefore a move towards a future vision of centralising services to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Following discussion and in light of its concern that the proposals were being presented as a ‘fait accompli’ and would lead to community bed closures and the future centralisation of all services to the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Committee AGREED the following actions be undertaken with regard to the proposals:

·       that the Toolkit be completed and circulated and also additional papers be circulated - and to reserve judgement pending receipt of these;

·       to see an impact assessment of moving 10 stroke beds from Witney to Abingdon; and

·       to request a breakdown of plans for staff as there had been reports of a lack of communication to them, and resulting confusion and concern. This to include information about whether ancilliary staff would be transferred alongside other staff.