Agenda item

The Health Select Committee will be presented with the details of the North West London Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP). The ISP has been produced by the North West London Acute Commissioning Partnership. Each of the eight PCTs in the North West London sector, including NHS Brent, is a member of the partnership.

NHS Brent has provided a series of presentation slides which includes more detail on the ISP.

Mark Easton (Chief Executive, NHS Brent) introduced the set of presentation slides, which provided the committee with details on the Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP) for North West London. He explained that the ISP was the road-map for the redesign of the NHS in North West London up to 2014 and would be the broad framework within which fundamental changes to NHS services would be made.  He added that the plan described the shift of care to lower cost settings in polysystems and the consequent effect this would have upon acute hospitals.  Mark Easton advised that consultants had been appointed to look at the strategy over the next few months and that a 13 week public consultation on final options was likely to begin in autumn 2010.  Stakeholder events, he added, would continue over the summer.

Maurice Hoffman (Brent Link) raised a concern that there had been a lack of consultation and engagement on NHS Brent’s Commissioning Strategic Plan.   He also highlighted the level of disinvestment which had been set out in the Commissioning Strategic Plan and concluded by explaining that he believed there was a mismatch between aspirations and cuts.  Following concerns regarding disinvestment, Mark Easton explained that whilst there would be disinvestment, there would also be the recycling of money into more appropriate forms of care.  A concern regarding the financial problems, which the Acute Trust has had, was also raised. 

Responding to a question on the number of polyclinics expected for the borough, Mark Easton explained that the starting point had been five polyclinics.  However, he advised that if it was to be based on one polyclinic per 100,000 people, as stated in the presentation slides, there would be three polyclinics for Brent.  He added that they were currently looking at whether five polyclinics would be appropriate and that they would be working with the council on the possible implications of having three polyclinics rather than five. With regards to the transfer of some services from Willesden Centre for Health and Care to Central Middlesex Hospital, Mark Easton explained that it was a temporary transition.  He explained that the x-ray services were still available at Willesden Centre for Health and Care.

In response to a question regarding the loss of 90 beds at Northwick Park Hospital, Mark Easton explained that Fiona Wise (Chief Executive, North West London Hospitals Trust), who had given her apologies for this meeting, would most likely have explained that she had opened more beds in the winter due to the winter weather to cope with A+E demands and that in order to balance books, they now had to be closed down. He added that fewer beds may also be needed due to improvements such as a reduction in delayed discharges. It was agreed that the Chair would write to Fiona Wise in order to get clarification on the loss of beds. 

RESOLVED:-

i)             that the presentation on the North West London Sector Integrated Strategic Plan be noted;

ii)            that the Chair writes to Fiona Wise (Chief Executive North West London NHS Hospitals Trust) to ask for more information on the loss of beds at Northwick Park Hospital.