Verbal update from representatives of Save Our Hospitals.
Minutes:
Jim Grealy confirmed that Save Our Hospitals had recently been renamed “H&F Save our NHS”. He outlined priorities for the coming year, the first being the proposed health budget cuts and the impact on the residents of H&F. A second priority was to look at GP at Hand. There was a need to recoup the cost of the service as the NHS continued to move increasingly towards digital services. It was important to address the natural injustice of this situation or the deficit would continue to accrue. The movement towards the merger of the eight North West London CCGs continued. This would affect eight boroughs, conducting approximately 40 CCG meetings per year. The merge would mean one CCG covering the needs of over two million people, with mixed income and diversity. It appeared illogical that one body could determine health needs and engage services for a wide geographical area. It was explained that HFSON would concentrate on working with residents and advocate the need for local democracy. Additional concerns included the low rate of immunisations in H&F.
Councillor Kwon referred to GP at Hand and observed that the digitisation of the NHS would become increasingly prominent as an issue, continuing privatisation by stealth. Historically, the NHS had a poor track record for this. It was important to recognise that Council lacked the necessary expertise in understanding the issue, particularly given current the rate of progress, which could not be allowed to continue without proper scrutiny. It was noted that one of the key criticisms of GP at Hand was that while they had the technical knowledge, they lacked a critical understanding of local need and diversity.
Jen Nightingale observed that the variation in information technology (IT) varied in different trusts and that it would be helpful if this could be unified, with an overarching technical policy or strategy that could be universally adopted. This would also be more financially efficient, given the large number IT companies that a varied range of services to different trusts. Jim Grealy concurred, that it would be helpful to consolidate buying power to strengthen purchasing power.
Jim Grealy commented on the recent CCG consultation which he felt had not considered the different was in which people now lived their lives and advocated the need for long term integrated care service planning.
Councillor Coleman commented that one of the biggest injustices had been that funding for GP at Hand had come from H&F CCG but this project had benefited those that live outside the Borough. Councillor Kwon agreed and felt that this was the tip of the iceberg, referring to the Aviva Application initiative. She queried whether the App was any good or if it offered value for money, noting that a Tech company had been paid for this development work by the NHS. Merrill Hammer (H&FSON) added that this was an issue that could not be resolved locally, and that NHS England would need to be challenged. One important concern was that digital services such as GP at Hand had not been properly tested and had been implemented too quickly, without regard to residents or GPs and ultimately, has undermined the NHS.
Councillor Richardson thanked Jim Grealy for his update. The work of H&FSON had recently been recognised with a community award at the Borough’s civic honours ceremony and welcomed their continued commitment to the work of the PAC and their expertise.
RESOLVED
That the Committee noted the verbal report from H&FSON.