Agenda item
Matters arising (if any)
Minutes:
Access to Health Sites Scrutiny Review Recommendation Follow Up
Andrew Davies (Policy and Performance Officer) circulated a response from Transport for London (TfL) regarding the committee’s concerns which were raised at the last meeting. It was noted by the committee that the letter did not cover all aspects of the committee’s concerns. The Chair stated that he would write again to TfL to ask them to respond to all the committee’s concerns.
Stag Lane Clinic
Councillor Mistry informed the committee that residents were concerned about the future of Stag Lane Clinic. She explained that she was concerned that portakabins were not the best solution for patients and would cause parking issues. She questioned why the money, which was being spent on the portakabins, could not be spent on sorting out the problem with the subsidence. She asked whether there was any resolve to develop a new centre on the Roberts Court site. Councillor Dunwell also stated that clarification on the situation regarding Roberts Court was required.
In response to the question regarding the repairing of Stag Lane Clinic, Jo Ohlson (Director of Primary Care Commissioning, NHS Brent) explained that the reason why NHS Brent had decided to not repair Stag Lane Clinic was because there was no guarantee that there would not be any future underground movement if the building was to be retained. It was therefore felt that portakabins were the best solution, but that it was only a temporary solution. She further advised that they had been asked by the planning service to clear the Stag Lane site to provide car parking adjacent to the portakabin site and that NHS Brent’s expectation was that it would be cleared to ensure that parking would be available.
With regards to Roberts Court, Jo Ohlson explained that there would only be a short window of opportunity in the next few months to develop on the Roberts Court site. She explained that she had met with half a dozen GP practices in Kingsbury to discuss the situation. She explained that due to the financial downturn a new clinic would have to be revenue neutral. She advised that there was a willingness to develop an affordable scheme which would be cost neutral and that NHS Brent would be undertaking a feasibility study in mid-April and would be developing a business case by the end of June 2010. Jo Ohlson stated that she was also aware that there was an interest for GPs to come together to build on the Stag Lane Clinic site and that this would also be looked at as an option.
Interim Chief Executive for NHS Harrow.
Mark Easton informed the committee that as well as being the Chief Executive of NHS Brent, he would also be acting as Interim Chief Executive for NHS Harrow from the 1st April 2010. The arrangements, he explained, would initially be for six months, with a review taking place after three months. He stated that the two organisations would continue to be run as completely separate entities, with separate finances, boards and management teams. He added that his new role would not have any impact on how NHS Brent provides services in Brent.