Agenda item

11:30

The Committee will scrutinise the development of a new rapid access care unit (RACU) at Townlands Memorial Hospital and review how this is working for patients and healthcare professionals in the area. The update is attached at JHO8. Representatives from the Oxford Health Foundation Trust and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group will attend.

Veronica Treacher, speaking on behalf of ‘Keep Our NHS Public’, recalled her own personal relationship with the hospital when her life was saved by clinicians. She described her experience, which she felt could have easily resulted in death had it not been for the staff at Townlands Hospital. She expressed her concern that the hospital had seen two major reorganisations in recent years and the likelihood of another one soon.

Dr Andrew Burnett, Locality Director for the South East CCG attended for this item. He reported the following:

·         Townlands Hospital was now operating and was seeing approximately twice as many out-patients. The Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and the Out of Hours (OOH) service units were doing well, providing to patients in south Oxfordshire and north Berkshire;

·         The Rapid Access Care Unit (RACU) is open initially to the over 65’s, but also younger people. The service had been developed in combination with the Royal Berkshire Hospital and provided care on an out-patient basis;

·         The principle behind the Unit was that a patient could be treated at the RACU, returned to their own home after a short stay, return for follow -  up with the community rehabilitation teams and also for support, if necessary from the Adult Social Care Teams;

·         He explained that it had been proved that patients had rapidly become unable to cope if hospitalised; and their independence could be retained if treated in this way. The average length of stay in hospital was 32 days compared with 9 days for those treated via the RACU method. It was his view that this would give a much improved service to older persons for the future.

Questions, concerns and issues voiced by members of the Committee were as follows, together with responses given:

·         A member asked that if there were going to be twice as many outpatients, why would there be a need for specialised services. Dr Burnett responded that the Royal Berkshire Hospital was particularly keen on the model of care for highly specialised services. Satellite services would be created, sending consultants out to the community hospitals to run their clinics;

·         Dr Burnett was asked about travel to the satellite clinics. He responded that in order for this to work well, units would be encouraging families and friends to drive patients to their appointments;

·         In response to a question, Dr Burnett confirmed that patients would be able to choose where they wished to receive clinical services, in order that they received a speedier service;

·         Dr Burnett confirmed that patients would not be placed in care homes with an unsatisfactory CQC report. He also confirmed that beds would be situated in a building adjacent to the Townlands RACU and a small number may have to be admitted to another hospital within the Royal Berkshire area;

·         In response to a question, Dr Burnett stated that NHS Property Services were dealing with the letting of the second floor area to the Townlands Hospital. Unfortunately the NHS had to charge a rent over and above the private business models;

·         With regard to questions about signage and appropriate waiting areas at Townlands, Dr Burnett stated that currently the site was under constant change and maintenance. A stakeholder Reference Group had been formed to receive feedback on how it was operating. He added that there was no single timescale for all the changes that were required in the near future;

·         In answer to a question about the kind of care which would be provided at Townlands, Dr Burnett explained that the specification for Intermediate Care beds differed from that which was provided at the Community Hospitals. The Hospital provided 18 beds for medical care, the standard for which was the same as for Intermediate Care Beds. He added that local Henley GP surgeries and the patients themselves had been pleased with the RACU service. Moreover, GPS were pleased with how OSJ was setting up the management and supervision of patients in beds and the standard of accommodation, despite being sceptical at first;

·         Dr Burnett confirmed that the new medical specification at Chipping Norton Hospital was the same as the former hospital specification;

·         In response to a question, Dr Burnett confirmed at food was not cooked on the premises.

 The Chairman thanked Dr Burnett for his attendance, and, on behalf of the Committee, applauded Health for their pioneering work in the delivery of care for patients.