Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development providing an overview of Primary Care Services in Leeds and on-going developments. 

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report introducing an overview of Primary Care Services in Leeds and on-going developments. 

The following representatives were in attendance:

·  Moira Dumma (Director – NHS England (West Yorkshire))

·  Kathryn Hilliam (Head of Primary Care – NHS England (West Yorkshire))

·  Nigel Gray (Chief Officer) – NHS Leeds North CCG

·  Sue Robins (Director of Commissioning, Strategy and Performance) – NHS Leeds West CCG

·  Matt Ward (Chief Operating Officer) – NHS Leeds South and East CCG

The Director of NHS England (West Yorkshire Area Team) gave a brief introduction to the report, which provided information on the following four areas:

·  General Practice

·  Dental Services

·  Community Pharmacy

·  Community Optometry

The Scrutiny Board agreed to consider the details of the report in line with the above four areas and a number of matters were raised and discussed.  A summary of the issues discussed is set out below:

General Practice (GP)

·  The overall strategy for GP services was around keeping and maintaining patients out of hospital care.

·  There would be a return to more ‘placed based commissioning’ of services through co-commissioning arrangements between NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

·  The role of GP services in addressing health inequalities and general implications around equality and diversity.

·  The use of local intelligence to inform service development and commissioning.

·  Available models and proposals around co-commissioning, alongside related matters such as overall governance arrangements and issues around potential conflicts of interest.

·  Issues around available GP appointments and access to services.

·  The changing nature of GP services and the current pilot (with Leeds West CCG) looking at the availability and delivery of the range of services under the umbrella of General Practice. 

·  Challenges for GP services in general, but specifically in Leeds – including the current age profile and methods of operation.

·  The collection and use of patient feedback and general involvement of patients in designing services.

·  Governance and accountability arrangements, including the introduction of Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections of GP services.

Dental Services

·  Equality of access to dentistry services.

·  Concerns regarding factual inaccuracies within the report presented and that oral health in Leeds was poor and not the best in Yorkshire and the Humber – as portrayed.

·  It was important that the Health and Wellbeing Board (the body that had previously been provided with and considered the published report) was presented with an updated and accurate report regarding dentistry.

·  Building capacity and methods for achieving this – including the links with appropriate training and development opportunities. 

Community Pharmacy

·  Clarification that with the abolition of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) the commissioning of community pharmacy services had moved the NHS England through its network of Area Teams.

·  The potential role of community pharmacies in building capacity across primary care, through extended roles and the delivery of different services.

·  Workforce issues and the role of Health Education England associated with capacity building.

·  The importance of providing the right physical environment when considering the delivery of extended services within a community pharmacy setting.

Community Optometry

·  Opportunities for developing and delivering enhanced optometry services.

·  The availability and access to audiology services.

As a matter of a general nature, assurance was sought that commissioners were ensuring Health and Wellbeing Board members were aware of any potential issues around access, quality and patient safety across the range of primary care services, particularly in those areas likely to be subject to CQC inspections and monitoring.

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the report and the information presented and discussed at the meeting.

(b)  That the Health and Wellbeing Board be invited to receive and consider an updated and more accurate report regarding oral health and the provision of dentistry services across Leeds.

(c)  To reflect on the issues discussed at the meeting when considering primary care at future meetings during the current municipal year.

On conclusion of the discussion, the Chair thanked those in attendance for their contribution to the discussion. 

(Councillor James Lewis and Councillor Shirley Varley left the meeting at 10:45am and 12:10pm, respectively, during consideration of this item).