Agenda and minutes

John Bardens (Scrutiny Manager) opened the meeting and asked Members to confirm the appointment of the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Resolved: that Councillor Muldoon be confirmed as the Chair and Councillor Wise be confirmed as the Vice-Chair of the Select Committee.

Resolved: the minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a true record.

·         Councillor John Muldoon is a governor of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

·         Councillor Paul Bell is a member of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and a patient at Amersham Vale GP Practice at the Waldron Health Centre.

·         Councillor Colin Elliot is a Council appointee to the Lewisham Disability Coalition.

There were no responses from Mayor & Cabinet at this meeting.

Ashley O’Shaughnessy (Deputy Director of Primary Care, Lewisham CCG) and colleagues introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

5.1  This item is intended to provide an overview of a number of GP mergers and other specific developments in Lewisham. It follows on from the item on the CCG’s primary care strategy for general practice, brought to the committee in January 2017.  The CCG said that the GP mergers and developments explained in this report are in line with the priorities of primary care strategy. They will still, however, be subject to formal business case approval.

5.2  Colin Stears, representing the Central Lewisham Care Partnership, provided an update on the proposed inclusion of Belmont Hill surgery into the Central Lewisham Care Partnership, as presented to the committee in January 2017.

5.3  The inclusion of Belmont Hill surgery builds on the existing merger between five practices (Brockley Road Medical Centre, Hilly Fields Medical Centre, Morden Hill Surgery, Honour Oak Group Practice and St John’s Medical Centre), which formed the Central Lewisham Care Partnership. The catchment areas of Belmont Hill surgery and the Central Lewisham Care Partnership currently overlap.

5.4  As with the original merger of five practices, this development will allow further economies of scale to be achieved in back-office functions, staff cover and overheads. This will benefit both patients and providers. Each practice would continue to work under their existing Personal Medical Services contracts for now. At a later stage the Partnership would look to move to one contract.

5.5  The new super-partnership would serve around 57,000 patients. 8,500 patients are currently registered at Belmont Hill. NHS England (London Region) have shown a keen interest in the model being pursued by the Central Lewisham care Partnership.

5.6  Dr Prad Velayuthan, representing the ICO Health Group, explained proposals for the consolidation of ICO Health Group primary care services in Grove Park, and the intention to develop a new purpose-built Health Centre, providing access to primary care services on a full-time basis.

5.7  Existing GP premises in Boundfield Road, Chinbrook Road, and Marvels Lane would be closed. The Downham Health and Leisure site would remain.

5.8  The ICO Health Group has recently started further public consultation to support the planning process for the new site, which originally began several years ago. The practice and architects are taking on board comments received about the design and external appearance. The ICO Health Group is taking out a private mortgage to support the development as well as seeking support from section 106 money.

5.9  The ICO Health Group appreciates that travel distances will increase for some patients. They are currently looking into the possibility of re-directing bus routes. Housebound patients would also continue to get home visits. There needs to be more detailed consultation on the Boundfield Road practice, where travel distances will increase the most.

5.10   The committee suggested that that the CCG should liaise with the Public Transport Committee about the possible redirection of bus routes to better  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

John Bardens (Scrutiny Manager) introduced the report. The following was noted:

6.1      Members suggested that the committee should include an item on the work programme to monitor the impact on the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust of the Greenwich CCG’s decision to award the musculoskeletal services contract to private company Circle Health rather than the Trust.

6.2      Members suggested a possible review of the use of social prescribing in health and social care, with a possible focus on the provision of social activities for young adults with learning difficulties.

6.3      Members suggested including an item to look at the results of the CQC inspection of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The Executive Director for Community Services reminded the committee that the report would probably be ready to come to committee around July

6.4      Members suggested including an item on the impact of air pollution. Officers informed the committee that this issue is already being considered by the Sustainable Development Select Committee, but that the new air quality plan could be shared as an information-only item in June/July.

6.5      Following recent articles in the national press about GPs failing patients by misdiagnosing cancer, members suggested looking into whether this has been an issue in Lewisham. Members suggested inviting the Lewisham CCG, Local Medical Committee and GPs.

6.6      Members agreed to change the committee start time from 7 to 7.30pm, unless there is a particularly busy agenda, in which case the start time will be 7pm.

Resolved: the Committee agreed the work programme for 2017/18.

There were none.