Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which updated the Board into the ongoing Inquiry into the provision of a GP-led Health Centre for Leeds.  Appended to the report was a paper from NHS Leeds which outlined the background to the provision of a GP-led Health Centre along with details of services to be provided, currently available at the proposed site in Burmantofts and services elsewhere in the City.

The Chair welcomed Kathryn Hilliam, GP Contract Lead (NHS Leeds) to the meeting.

It was reported that Care UK Clinical Services had been awarded the contract for providing the services at the new health centre, and this was due to commence from 2 March 2009.  Members attention was drawn to the paper of NHS Leeds and the services to be provided.  The Board expressed concerns regarding the provision for local residents of Burmantofts due to the change in GP provision at the Centre and was informed that any resident of Leeds could register with a GP at the centre as well as make use of walk-in facilities.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following issues were discussed:

• Concern regarding people leaving their current GP services and possible effects this may have on provision elsewhere, particularly in rural areas.
• There would always be a GP present at the centre with clinical responsibility for delivery of services.
• With regards to a patients choice to see a GP at the centre without an appointment, it was reported that this would be determined following assessment by an appropriate health professional.
• When the centre first opened, there would not be any registerd patients.  Service models had been studied to anticipate the number of patients wanting to register.
• Any unseen costs of running the centre would be the responsibility of the contractor.  Funding was patient led.
• The centre would be named the Shakespeare Medical Centre.
• In comparison to the walk in centre at the Light, the Shakespeare Centre was GP-led as opposed to Department of Health led.  The Light was also only open 5 days per week and did not provide regular GP services.
• There would not be aggressive marketing of the centre and it would be purely patient choice to register there.  It was felt that this would not have an impact on the provision of services elsewhere.  All the bidders had to submit marketing plans as part of the bidding process and ex-patients of previous GP provision from the centre could be contacted.
• The contractor had submitted staffing plans that detailed contingency arrangements to ensure that the centre would always be staffed accordingly.
• Total costs for the establishment of the centre were requested.
• Home visits for registered patients – I t was reported that these would be available where clinically appropriate as with any other GP service.
• As use of the centre increased, the size of the staffing would, in line with prescribed patient/doctor ratios.

The Chair thanked Kathryn Hilliam for her attendance.

RESOLVED –

(1)  That the Board visit the Centre in March 2009

(2)  That an additional meeting be held in the Burmantofts area to conclude the Inquiry into the GP-led Health Centre.