Agenda item

12.05

At the July OJHOSC meeting members agreed that a letter should be sent to the Secretary of State for Health seeking Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) intervention on the issue of staff employment at Chipping Norton Hospital.

Subsequently a copy of a letter from the Chair of the South Central Strategic Health Authority to the MP for Witney was forwarded to the Chairman of the HOSC. The letter, which is attached (JHO10a) stated that  "all remaining issues" about the management of the hospital should be resolved by the end of August. Clarification has been sought from the Chief Executives of the PCT and Oxford Health about just what that statement means.

Members will be brought up to date on what has happened since the letter (attached JHO10b) was sent to the SoS

The Chairman explained that Chipping Norton Hospital has been on the HOSC agenda on a number of occasions over the years. Previously it had been agreed by the PCT that, with regard to the employment of nursing staff at the hospital:

i. To enable staff at the Hospital to decide which choice was better for them as individuals, they would be given the option of whether to remain as NHS employees and be seconded to the Orders of St John (OSJ) for a period of three years or to transfer under TUPE to the OSJ

ii. The PCT would not indicate a preference with regard to the above options

iii. In the event that an NHS employed staff member was to leave during the three year period, their replacement would be placed on NHS terms and conditions for the remainder of the three years.

At the end of the three years a review would take place.

The transfer of existing staff has happened in accordance with the first two statements above and all nurses employed in the hospital chose to be employed by the NHS. However the PCT decided that new staff employed during the three year period following the opening of the new hospital would be employed by the OSJ.

At their July meeting HOSC members had agreed to bring this matter to the notice of the Secretary of State for Health and seek his advice on whether or not the Independent Reconfiguration Panel could be invited to review the position.

Following the Chairman’s opening remarks the Director of Communications for the PCT, Ronan O’Connor, reported that the PCT was proposing to bring forward the review of the new Chipping Norton Hospital from three years to two and that any staff employed during that time would be employed as NHS staff.

Before discussing the PCT’s latest position the Chairman reported that there had been no reply yet from the Secretary of State to the latter sent on behalf of the HOSC in July.

Councillor Biles stated that, in her opinion, the HOSC should wait for the Secretary of State to reply before agreeing anything with the PCT. She considered that it would be reasonable for a review to commence three months before the three years were up.

The Chairman asked members to consider whether what the PCT was suggesting was reasonable.

Councillor Pressel stated that she would agree with the compromise suggested by the PCT but would insist that no change should take place until the review was completed.

Mr O’Connor stated that local GPs considered the two year offer to be a reasonable compromise. He further said that the PCT would consider Councillor Pressel’s point.

Councillor Stratford suggested that Mr O’Connor should take the HOSC’s views back to the PCT, gat an answer and come back to the HOSC in November by when, it is to be hoped, the Secretary of State might have got around to replying.

The Committee supported Councillor Stratford’s proposal and Mr O’Connor agreed to come back in November.

Councillor Shouler proposed that HOSC members should visit Chipping Norton Hospital to see how such a modern facility operates. Mr O’Connor agreed to arrange a visit.