To receive an update from Jacqui Himbury, Borough Director, NHS Outer North East London (NHS ONEL).
Minutes:
The Director of public health confirmed that breast screening would start shortly at Harold Wood polyclinic. Screening would be extended to ages 47-73. Appointments would be available 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday. It was unclear at this stage if appointments would also be available on Saturdays.
The breast screening service would be provided by BHRUT but the precise timescale for starting the service at the polyclinic remained uncertain at this stage. NHS ONEL officers would supply details of the date when services were due to start. Screening would also continue at the Victoria Clinic which would be a digital screening system for women needing further investigation. Women were called for breast screening on a three-year programme and the take-up in Havering was approximately 70%, meeting the target for this. The new detection model had not been quality assured as yet and the current evidence indicated that digital mammography gave the best chance of cancer detection.
GP practices would open on the three working days over the holiday period (28-30 December). A guide for practices over the holiday period would be issued to Havering surgeries shortly. Information would also be available on the NHS ONEL website and the Director of Public Health would check how else information on health services over the Christmas period would be disseminated. Members suggested using the local press, libraries and pharmacies to assist with this. The 111 telephone advice service was not available yet and was likely to start in Havering in February 2012.
Members raised concerns that Harold Hill health centre remained underused with a lack of the proposed minor surgery and x-ray services. The Director of Public Health responded that NHS ONEL was currently considering what additional services could be moved into the health centre. It was agreed that the Committee would arrange a site visit to Harold Hill health centre in order that concerns and issues could be discussed on site with the borough director. Members felt similar problems of underuse existed at South Hornchurch health centre and perhaps a visit could be arranged in the future. It was confirmed that chiropody services were now at Cranham health centre. Diabetic chiropody services were based at South Hornchurch clinic.
A GP was based at the polyclinic throughout the day as were a nurse practitioner and health care assistant for part of the day. Nurses were also available at the polyclinic each day. Extra staff could also be put in according to need.
Changes on an NHS ONEL basis were being led by Alwen Williams and Heather Mullin. Elections were being held that evening for the GP consortia joint board which would lead to the establishment of a single consortium for Havering. Members were keen to establish what would be the priorities of the new Clinical Commissioning Group. The Director of Public Health added that one of the current consortia was working on the Gold Standard framework for end of life care.
The Director of Public Health was aware of rumours concerning the future of St. George’s Hospital but confirmed that there were no plans to sell the site to Newham. It was planned to close some of the buildings on the site but details were still being discussed with GPs who would make the final decision. No part of the land at St. George’s had been sold at this stage. The Director of Public Health would check if the land would be sold as one site or as individual plots. The Director of Public Health would also check the situation as regards land near the site currently being for sale on the internet. A representative of Havering LINk felt that excellent care of the elderly was provided at St. George’s and that people became anxious if the future of the hospital was uncertain. The Chairman felt it was essential that Members were kept up to date as regards developments with St. George’s.
The Committee noted the update from NHS ONEL.