Report to Follow
Minutes:
The Committee received a report outlining the next steps which Gateshead’s Care, Health and Wellbeing OSC may now take following a meeting of a Joint Health OSC (Gateshead and Newcastle) on 31 March 2016 to consider the proposals for mental health services across Gateshead and Newcastle outlined in the Deciding Together Consultation.
At the conclusion of the meeting on 31 March 2016, members of the Joint Health
OSC were of the view that, whilst there were some good elements to the consultation process, there were also a number of flaws in the content/process. There was also agreement that the trust wide scenario T (Hopewood Park and St George’s) was not in the interests of the local area and that a central option was preferred. However, the Joint OSC was not able to indicate whether this should be option G or option N because there had been insufficient and conflicting information about those specific options.
The Joint OSC was advised that Gateshead retained its right to make a referral to the Secretary of State and indicated that Gateshead’s Care, Health and Wellbeing OSC would make a decision on whether it should make a referral at its meeting on 19 April 2016.
In examining whether a referral to the Secretary of State might be an appropriate course of action the OSC considered the following:
· The benefits of making such a referral
· Any alternative action which can be progressed
When considering the benefits or otherwise of making such a referral the OSC noted that there were no guarantees that any referral would be successful, however, a potential outcome of a referral in relation to inadequate consultation might be that the CCG is asked to carry out the consultation again.
The OSC noted that a referral to the Secretary of State would delay a decision on the future of mental health provision across Newcastle/Gateshead for patients/carers and families after an already lengthy engagement/public consultation exercise.
The OSC acknowledged that a referral to the Secretary of State may have an impact on the resources of the CCG and the CCG was asked to conduct the consultation exercise again and this may lead to a reduction in resources available for other health provision for residents as a result.
The CCG have indicated that there has been no decision taken on any of the options outlined in the consultation and the CCG Board will make this decision on 24 May 2016. The CCG may therefore decide to progress the option of a central location for acute inpatient mental health services which the Joint Health OSC has indicated as its preferred option. In arriving at its decision, the CCG Board will take into account the outcome of the public consultation exercise, the views of the Joint Health OSC and the views of the Clinical Senate amongst other factors.
The Committee were advised as an alternative, the OSC could draft a formal letter to the CCG providing an overview of its concerns regarding the consultation, identifying areas requiring written clarification and assurances. This would have the benefit of providing the OSC with written confirmation as to how their concerns will be managed and would also minimise any delay in securing improved mental health provision for residents across Gateshead and Newcastle.
RESOLVED - i) the OSC unanimously decided not to support the trust wide solution and agreed to exercise their right to make a referral to the Secretary of State on 27 May 2016, if ` ` the CCG Board’s decision on 24 May 2016 is to support a Trust Wide solution, on the basis that this options would not be in the interests if the local health service.
ii) the OSC unanimously decided that a letter should be sent on behalf of the OSC to Dr Mark Dornan (the new Chair of the CCG) setting out its concerns in relation to the consultation exercise and a formal response is requested