Agenda item

13.15 pm

The Chairman will report on the following matters:

-                      South central Ambulance Service NHS Trust review;

-                      Keeping People Well project group.

The Chairman updated the Committee on the following issues/meetings he had attended:

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)

Roger Edwards reported that a number of meetings had taken place with the South Central Ambulance Services as part of a project undertaken by the informal South Central  Scrutiny Group which looked at the underperformance of SCAS access targets in rural areas. A number of recommendations had emerged from this review which had been formulated in a letter to the commissioners, together with a number of further questions. A response was awaited.

In response to representations from the South Central Scrutiny Group, SCAS had set up a workshop to look at the way vehicles were deployed in rural areas as part of a departmental review. Furthermore they had invited major stakeholders to attend a meeting held in Newbury to discuss it. He added that there were some good outcomes emerging from this piece of work, which would be submitted to a future meeting.

The Chairman pointed out that an important outcome of the project would be an admission from SCAS that the national targets Service Level Agreement was different in rural areas and that they depended on an average figure.  He asked the Committee if it was prepared to accept that there was an inequity of access to rural areas compared to urban areas; given that there was no guarantee of the £6m funding required to guarantee equity of access. He pointed out the deemed failure and the frustrations inherent in not meeting the target when arriving 1 second  after the 8 minutes, whereas a floor level of , say, 95% arrival in 11 minutes would be more realistic. He also pointed out also that the new Government were removing NHS targets and replacing them with the concept of ‘outcomes’.

Members of the Committee joined in seeing the sense in the Government’s decision, believing that a realistic and pragmatic view was required. It was pointed out that different thresholds could then be placed on different circumstances, for example, there could be different outcome threshold placed on the area within the Oxford ring road compared with the outside. It was added, however, that priority had to be given to lobbying the Government for additional funding for rural services; indeed that there should be adequate monitoring of performance leading to service improvement, if necessary.

Keeping People Well (KPW) – Re - commissioning of Day Services provided by Voluntary and Community Services for Adults with Mental Health Problems.

At the last meeting, following representations from members of the public and a full discussion, it had been decided that a working group be formed (Minute 32/10 refers) comprising three members of the Committee, to work with the PCT commissioners to ensure that :

(1)   The KPW service level outcomes were equitable, there was equity of access and that the current level of service was maintained and/or improved;

(2)   That the process had been transparent throughout; and

(3)   Whether a full public consultation was required.

A report by the Working Group would be submitted to the next meeting on 16 September 2010.

Two representatives from two voluntary organisations had requested to address the Committee at this point on the Agenda, at which an update from the Working Group was due to be given. Patrick Taylor, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire MIND and Alex Taylor,  Manager of Bridewell Organic Gardens attended the meeting making the following points:

Patrick Taylor

• A variety of important services were provided from different voluntary organisations, under the umbrella of MIND, and funded from KPW; some , for example, providing information and some helping people back to work, all providing a life-line to a large number of people with a mental health problem. He expressed a hope that the need to gather evidence of these services would be written into the task of the Working Group;
• He also expressed his concern over the £300k cut in the MIND budget, stating that the £300k was needed, given the Creating a Healthy Oxfordshire agenda and its emphasis on establishing early preventative measures.

Alex Taylor

• He informed the  Committee that the PCT were not funding the charity as a part of the budget cuts;
• The PCT had identified a need to save £80m per annum, which amounted to a 9% cut overall. In his view the charity sector were being disproportionately penalised;
• OCC had invested a significant amount in the development of small charities, particularly in rural areas. Without this funding it would be difficult for them to continue. The KPW could jeopardise the benefits these charities provide to people with a mental health problem.

Members of the Committee agreed that the work undertaken by charitable organisations was valued greatly and gave their reassurance that this Committee was doing all it could to have a voice at the table. Mr Taylor was encouraged to correspond with the Working Group, submitting the appropriate evidential information.

Dennis Preece, Chairman of the Programme Board overseeing the BMH project for Oxfordshire and Alan Webb, Director of Service Redesign, Oxfordshire PCT  attended the meeting in order to respond to questions from the Committee. Alan Webb thanked members for their input, and challenge to date, but stated that he needed to check whether there could be any Committee involvement in the procurement process (in the form of observer status), as promised at the last meeting. Whilst this was accepted, the Committee asked Mr Webb if alternate arrangements could be made for some kind of involvement.

In response to various questions from the Committee Messrs Preece and Webb commented as follows:

-                      Local voluntary organisations had already been encouraged to make an open tender;

-                      Selection criteria will be based on a range of issues of which financial viability will be one, but bidders will be permitted to join together in a consortium. It would be possible within the process to go out to tender in such a way that small local groups could bid for part of the service providing for a small local area;

-                      It had been confirmed that there will be a budget cut amounting to £300k, the largest percentage of which would come from the OCC budget. The PCT had to be realistic, outcome focussed, but required services to provide value for money and deliver within budget;

-                      The membership of the Project Board included GPs, specialist consultants from the OBMHFT, representatives from the PCT commissioning team , users and carers;

-                      (Mr Preece) Over the last 25 years, he had been involved in many consultations, but had never encountered a better one than this in terms of input. Hundreds of people and organisations affected by these proposals had been consulted and listened to;

-                      Within the KPW budget there would be set aside some service user initiatives which  was in keeping with the aim to adopt a bottom up approach; and

-                      The PCT had flagged up with the smaller charities that they could work with other groups to come up with a viable bid.

Meeting with Sir Jonathan Michael, Chief Executive of ORH

The Chairman and Roger Edwards had met with the new Chief Executive of the ORH.

Opening of new Darzi Centre, Banbury.

Roger Edwards and the Chairman reported their attendance at the opening of the new Darzi Centre in Banbury , at the invitation of the local member. They commented that the building was impressive and well used , with good open access to the medical centre, had very enthusiastic staff,  and had developed a large base of patients ranging from local residents, to the homeless and travellers.

Meeting with the Chair of the Community Forum, Banbury, Julia Cartwight

The Community Forum would continue in existence for a further six months in order to oversee the implementation of the ORH contract to provide a consultant delivered, not led, service. He congratulated members of the Committee on the successful outcome and the effective part it had played in the outcome. He had met up with the Keep the Horton Local Group, members of Banbury Town Council and the Prime Minister to celebrate the outcome. The involvement of this Committee would now cease, unless further issues arose.