HANThe Newcastle Health Action Network

news

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JUNE 2011

www.caoh.org.uk

NHS North of Tyne asked the HAN to take

part in the Government’s listening exercise and put

forward members’ views and comments on the proposed NHS reforms. In addition, the two newly established GP consortia, Newcastle Bridges and TyneHealth, came along to introduce themselves to other organisations, share their initial plans for development and respond to comments around the listening exercise.

The Government’s White Paper ‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’, set out a long-term vision for the future of the NHS.

Four main aims underpinned the paper: • Puttingpatientsandthepublicfirst• Improving healthcare outcomes • Autonomy, accountability and democratic

legitimacy • Cutting bureaucracy

A three month consultation period followed the publication of the paper during which time individuals and organisations were able to submit their views around the proposals, which drew some support but also clear opposition from key stakeholder groups.

Despite this opposition the Health and Social Care Bill was set before Parliament on 19th January 2011. It received it’s second reading at the end of January and was reviewed by the Public Bill Committee on 31st March. Since then, opposition to the Bill has grown with leading stakeholders such as the British Medical Association and Royal College of General Practitioners questioning the proposed changes. Concerns were also raised about the actual pace of change as some of the proposed reforms have already been implemented.

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In response to these concerns and during a natural pause in the parliamentary timetable the Government announced a period of reflectionandfurtherconsultation,described by David Cameron as “a chancetopause,listen,reflectandimprove on our proposals”.

The listening exercise ended on 31st May and gave people another chance to put forward their views on the proposed reforms and offer suggestions for improvements. The listening exercise focused on four key areas: • Choice and competition • Public accountability and patient

involvement • Clinical advice and leadership • Education and training

Here’s What You Said…Our discussions focused upon public accountability and patient involvement.

Q1. Do you support the idea of using the JSNA (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment) as a basis for commissioning decisions? It was felt that the JSNA was a good tool for commissioning decisions but not in its current state as it is out of date and not all sections have information in. The majority of participants had never heard of the JSNA and asked how inclusive it was.

Q2. Have you, or the groups you represent, ever been involved in providing information for the JSNA? A few participants had provided information for the JSNA, this had involved forwarding raw data by email. The majority of participants

had never provided information for the JSNA.

Who is putting the information on there?

Q3. Do you support Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS)/patient representation on the Health & Wellbeing boards? In general everyone agreed that there needs to be more representation on these boards but an acceptance that too much would be impractical. It was felt that there is a danger that representatives could push their own agenda and participants questioned how accountable they are for cascading information to the rest of the VCS.It was suggested that a paid VCS representative would help put an end to the same old faces appearing on boards, removing the impact of resource problems.

How are the representatives going to be monitored? Accountability is important.

Q4. Does your GP practice involve you in decisions about the health services it is commissioning? Everyone felt that their GP practice did not promote or invite involvement from individual patients or organisations. They were not able to recall any material in waiting rooms or receiving any requests asking for their views.

The current method of becoming part of a PPG (Patient Participation Group)wasidentifiedasbeing“notright for everyone” and that new methods need to be developed, perhaps involving VCS organisations, which are in touch with the local population.

Q5. Would you like your practice/GP consortium to involve you in discussions about its commissioning decisions? HAN participants generally agreed that they wanted to be more involved in commissioning decisions. Also, participants felt that GPs need to improve their awareness of the VCS, and events similar to ‘‘Healthy Introductions’’ organised by CAOH, and GP time out sessions could be used to improve this.

Q6. How would you like to be involved in local commissioning decisions? Participants called for a variety of methods to be used to engage and involve people in the hope that this would attract more than the “usual suspects.”

Q7. How would you like to learn about local commissioning decisions that have been made? Again various methods were called for (not just a letter through the door) to accommodate the various communication needs of the public. Again the use of existing structures in the VCS was put forward as a way of improving this.

‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’ Continued...

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Q8. Are you currently part of your practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG)? No participants were part of their practice’s PPG.

How do we get on them?

Q9. What would make you feel that commissioning budgets in your area were transparently and fairly used?Everyone agreed “communication withpeopleiskey”andidentifiedthe level of information as being important; people will often not read long documents, documents that contain too much jargon and plain English should be used as much as possible. It was suggested that a document similar to the annual statement letter you receive from Newcastle City Council

regarding your Council Tax could be a good template.

Q10. Who do you think should have a say in holding commissioners to account locally? Participants felt that everyone should have a say, as it is public money and should include more than just one group from one sector.

Everyone, its public money so the public should know!

Q11. Do you currently feel the local NHS listens to you? And at what level? Participants felt that on a personal level the NHS does not listen to them and people often don’t know how to share their views.

Q12. Have you ever tried to suggest improvements? Some participants felt that their suggestions were taken on board, such as the recent involvement of a number of GPs in the “Your Welcome” programme. One participant commented that they often get listened to by a single GP or practitioner but this message fails to get fed higher up, so nothing changes. Participants also felt the lack of feedback, which is essential, was often missing resulting in damaged reputations and relationships.

Note…As this newsletter went to print the NHS Future Forum, which ran the listening exercise, delivered its recommendations. The Government is now considering these recommendations. The full report is available to read at www.ResourceBank.org.uk

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JUNE 2011

Taking the views of patients into accountOver the next two years, Newcastle Bridges will work closely with Newcastle Primary Care Trust, the current commissioner of healthcare services, to gradually take on responsibilities before the phasing out of primary care trusts in April 2013.

Dr Guy Pilkington said: “We want to make sure that everything we do is centred on the needs, and as far as possible, the wishes of patients and

carers. We know the diverse range of communities that we cover and thataonesizefitsallapproachwillnot work - so we need to make sure we seek the views of local people in a number of ways.

Some practices already have patient groups and, in the coming months, more will follow. We’ll be encouraging our patients to give us their views, through being part of practice patient groups. We recognise that not all patients are able to take

part in these and we’ll be seeking the support of the voluntary and community sector to ensure that all patients are able to shape what we do.

As we develop our strategy around public involvement it will be very important to make sure that our patients know who we are, what our role is and how they can contribute.”

Newcastle Bridges Commissioning Consortium

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For more information go to:www.newcastlebridges.net

Newcastle Bridges Commissioning Consortium covers 16 GP practices in the west and centre of Newcastle, who will work together to improve health and healthcare for around 131,000 patients living in the city.

Dr Guy Pilkington, GP-Chair for Newcastle Bridges said: “We are building on a long history of practices working closely with our communities to improve healthcare. We have big ambitions and recognise that we will not be able to change everything overnight but are confident that by working with patients and our communities we can provide care in the right place at the right time for patients.”

Scan the QR code to go to the newcastlebridges.net website

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www.caoh.org.uk

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Dr Guy PilkingtonElected GP Chair

Guy graduated from Oxford and Newcastle Universities and has been a practicing GP and partner at the Cruddas Park and Hillsview Surgeries since 1989. As an active and keen teacher of undergraduate medical students he’s been a senior medical tutor at Newcastle University since 2002.

Kay HowesHead of Partnerships

Kay joined Newcastle Bridges Commissioning Consortium in October 2011 as Head of Partnerships and has responsibility for partnership working, public and patient engagement, governance and organisational development.

Kay is originally a Town Planner, having graduated from Glasgow University in 1987. She worked for 15 years for a range of local authorities in the North East and for central government as a land use planner.

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JUNE 2011

Dr. Relton Cummings, GP partner at the Holly Medical Group in Jesmond, talked to the Health Action Network about his role as chair of TyneHealth, one of the two GP consortia in Newcastle who will commission on behalf of 17 GP practices across the city and a population of around 154,000.

TyneHealth have now established transitional governance arrangements to take them forward to 2013 when Newcastle PCT is abolished. Part of this governance includes a practice engagement board feeding into the executive TyneHealth board. The TyneHealth board will run as a committee reporting to the NHS North of Tyne jointboarduntilfurtherclarificationon GP consortia arrangements is achieved through the Bill.

Projects that TyneHealth practices are undertaking this year involve services for patients with long term

conditions (which would include people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, patients who fall or are at risk of falling and those who need palliative (end of life) care), patients with osteoporosis at risk of fractures, patients needing planned care (in the areas of orthopaedics, ENT and urology), and reducing the amount of medicines prescribed unnecessarily.

The consortium is also involved in a range of projects across Newcastle with their colleagues in the Bridges consortium, looking at reducing unplanned admissions of patients living in nursing and residential homes. The aim is to improve standards, and the support available, particularly for those receiving end of life care.

Other agreed city-wide projects include the provision of an epilepsy nurse specialist - to provide continuity of care in practices and to help carers

to support their loved ones – and making sure Newcastle practices have the ability to provide ‘in house’ ECG services, for more timely access for patients, and to improve the quality of services offered when providing this common test for heart disease.

Building on existing work over the last twelve months, both consortia are also signed up to an innovative programme with the city council’s education department to target children aged 5 to 13 years at risk or already experiencing mental health problems in schools. The project takes a “whole school” approach and is aimed at improving mental wellbeing and tackling problems earlier.

Further information on all of the projects is available online from the NHS North of Tyne website: www.northoftyne.nhs.uk

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www.northoftyne.nhs.ukScan the QR code to go to the northoftyne.nhs.uk website

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www.caoh.org.uk

Tracey StuchlikTyneHealth Clinical Commissioning Consortium

Tracey Stuchlik has worked in general practice for the past 14 years, currently as the practice manager of Holly Medical Group in Jesmond.

Prior to her roles within the NHS she worked for the Ministry of Defence as aservingmemberofHMForcesandasanoccupationalwelfareofficerwiththe Ministry of Defence Civil Secretariat.

Dr Relton CummingsChair of TyneHealth Clinical Commissioning Consortium

Dr Cummings has been a partner at the Holly Medical Group in Jesmond, for the past 31 years. He did his medical training in Newcastle before being elected to the Royal College of GPs in 1979. In addition to working as a GP he is also chair of the Newcastle and North Tyneside Local Medical Committee (LMC) and from 2001 to 2010, he was the Newcastle Primary Care Trust (PCT) lead for cancer.

TyneHealth ‘Change’ Projects in 2011/12

• COPD

• Fracture Liaison

• LTC (COPD, Falls pathway, EOL)

• Planned Care (Orthopaedics, ENT, Urology)

• General Practitioner with Special Interest

(GPwSI) led ENT service

• Medicines Management Waste

Newcastle wide ‘Change’ Projects in 2011/12

• Care Homes

• Epilepsy Specialist Nurse

• ECG monitoring

• Mental Health in schools programme

• Oral nutrition demand management

service

The Health Action Network brings together organisations and individuals across Newcastle interested in improving health. The HAN is facilitated by Community Action on Health, a charity working within Newcastle to tackle health inequalities through patient, carer and public involvement. Community Action on Health, 26 Hawthorn Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6RJ Tel: 0191 226 3450 Fax: 0191 273 1623 www.caoh.org.uk

If you are suffering from hay fever this summer and are entitled to free prescriptions due to low income then you can access Think Pharmacy First for treatment.

Think Pharmacy First is great for patients as it gives easier access to treatment for minor ailments without having to make an appointment to see their GP.

Look out for the bright yellow posters and window stickers displayed in all pharmacies urging you to Think Pharmacy First.

Think Pharmacy First for hay fever this summer

An awareness campaign which aims to help more men and women spot the symptoms of cancer earlier, has launched in the North East and Cumbria.

The new Be Clear on Cancer campaign, run by the NHS, focuses on the three most common cancers in the UK – breast, bowel and lung cancer. As well as raising awareness of the symptoms, it aims to increase understanding that the disease is more likely be to treatable the earlier it is diagnosed.

Research has shown that whilst the majority of people have been touched by cancer through family and friends, worryingly many are unaware of the symptoms of the disease and may be too embarrassed or frightened to make an appointment with their GP if something appears to be wrong.

Be Clear on Cancer will use real life stories to show how being aware of cancer symptoms, and telling your doctor if you think something isn’t right, could save your life.

Alternatively, a trip to your GP could simply put your mind at rest, as many symptoms can be linked with other health conditions.

Peoplewillhaveachancetofindoutmore about the campaign atTesco and Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life events across the region this summer. Further information is available at www.beclearoncancer.co.uk

Be clear on cancer