Councillor Sally Kenny gave apologies and Councillor Joan Henry attended as a substitute.

Diane  Griffin, co-opted member gave apologies

None.

The minutes were agreed subject to the following changes:

Page 4: Second line should read; some panel members expressed concern that gluten free products are not widely available and expensive.

Page 3: Second paragraph should read; He also expressed concern that at a recent meeting of diabetic sufferers, there was some confusion about the difference between Type One and Type Two Diabetes.

Page 2: The penultimate sentence  should read; services that meet their need.

Page 2: Resolved should read; officers were thanked for their work.

Professor Rhodes said the Panel would be concerned about the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Report received last year in which the Trust was rated as inadequate and placed in special measures. A significant amount of work had taken place to resolve these issues and although progress has been made there was still more to do. Further inspections on the severe regulation notices had taken place a month ago and the Trust is awaiting the results of this.

A panel member expressed concern about reductions in the building maintenance budget as they understood that the wiring and electrics were in poor condition.  They also queried provision of dialysis services being held in a truck in the car park and suggested this service could usefully be moved to St Helier hospital.

Professor Rhodes reported that problems with the fixed wiring structure have been resolved. Renal services were considered to be in an inadequate setting as a result of the CQC inspection and the Trust was given two weeks to relocate it. Out-patient dialysis is now provided in mobile wards on site. This is high quality provision and considered to be better than what was previously in place. They are working towards a long term future for this service. Dialysis provision should be near where people live and there is a balance in how far people are willing to travel. St Helier provides their own services.

A panel member asked if the Uro-Gynaecology services at St George’s will be re-opened and the current state of the Trust’s finances. Professor Rhodes reported that the Uro-Gynaecology services had to be closed due to concerns about safety. A working group was set up with Wandsworth and Merton Clinical Commissioning Group.  It was felt that the high level surgery was not required and care could be delivered by physiotherapy. In regards to the finances, The Trust was £78 million in deficit last year, it is hoped to reduce this to £45 million this year. The turnaround is taking longer than anticipated as there is a need to constrain costs and improve quality.

A panel member asked what impact the CQC inspection had on staff morale. Professor Rhodes reported the uncertainty caused by the inspection was upsetting for staff. Other issues affecting staffing levels include Brexit, South West London location and  higher staff turnover within the leadership team. Professor Rhodes reported that the staffing structure was good. There are more nurses on the ward and staffing is above safe levels.

A Panel member asked if there are any additional resources for the improvement work which needs to be implemented following the CQC inspection. Professor Rhodes reported that the Trust can apply for emergency funding as they are now in special measures. Capital funding requirements remain an issue.

A panel member asked how many agency staff the Trust employ at any one time. Professor Rhodes reported that approximately 8% of the work force is drawn from agency staff. There are a number of projects being undertaken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The scrutiny officer was asked to develop a draft work programme incorporating all the suggested topics

.

The Panel agreed to conduct a task group on schemes to match housing between professionals and older people with spare rooms.

The following panel members agreed to join the task group

Cllr Laxmi Attawar
Cllr Joan Henry
Cllr Suzanne Grocott
Mr Saleem Sheikh

Panel members also asked the scrutiny officer to arrange a visit to the Department for Work and Pensions local medical assessment centres which process personal independent payments. Concerns have been raised about the physical inaccessibility of the centres. Panel members wish to review the situation and report back at the Panel meeting.

RESOLVED

Draft work programme to be presented to the next Panel meeting

The Chief Executive reported that the Trust received a ‘Good’ rating at their recent CQC inspection. However driving improvement still remains a key priority. The inspectors were particularly impressed by the efficient use of acute beds, there is national pressure on acute mental health beds but the Trust has not sent any patients out of the local area for some months. The Trust is also in a balanced financial position even though it is the lowest funded Mental Health Trust in South West London.

The redevelopment of the Springfield site remains a priority. The Trust will sell some of the land and build two new hospitals. A development partner has been selected and work will begin in 2018.

The Chief Executive reported to the Panel that Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services were centralised in 2014. Around seven patients a week were requesting diagnostic services for autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The demand for this service has risen by 300% to 25 children per week. The Commissioners have asked the Trust to look at the service and has provided re-assurance there will be no changes for the next 12 months.

A panel member asked what will happen to the service in the longer term and why referrals are increasing. The Chief Executive reported that Commissioners will determine the future of the service. The Head of Service Delivery reported that there is greater awareness of mental health issues. A diagnosis can also result in greater support from the school. There is no health treatment given as a result of the diagnosis but people are given advice and support.

A panel member queried the length of waiting times for acute beds. The Chief Executive said there is a national unit at Springfield with adult and children’s bed this is always full to capacity with patients coming from all over the country but there are no waiting lists.

A panel member asked if they still have a dedicated Merton ward. It was reported that they have moved away from dedicated wards for geographical areas but they still match community teams with wards.

Panel members asked if the Trust has links with the Dementia Hub and the Court Service. The Chief Executive reported that there are strong working arrangements in both areas.

RESOLVED

The Chief Executive and Head of Service Delivery  were thanked for attending the meeting.