Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support as an introduction to a report from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership regarding its work and engagement in relation to improving Specialist Stroke Services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. 

The Joint Committee received a report from Leeds City Council’s Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support introducing an update on Specialist Stroke Services, setting out the context of the review.

The following were in attendance:

·  Jo Webster - Chief Officer NHS Wakefield CCG and Senior Responsible Officer (Commissioning) West Yorkshire & Harrogate Stroke Programme

·  Andy Withers - Clinical Chair Bradford Districts CCG and West Yorkshire & Harrogate Stroke Programme Chair

·  Stacey Hunter - Chief Operating Officer, Airedale Hospital, West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WY AAT)

·  Karen Coleman - West Yorkshire & Harrogate Health & Care Partnership Communication and Engagement Lead

The Chief Officer presented the report setting out the key issues considered during the review, which sought to ensure that care pathways are universal across the area.  The issues highlighted included:

-  National standards

-  Standards set out by Royal College of Surgeons

-  Clinical outcome improvements

-  To ensure care and outcomes are equitable across the Partnership

-  To ensure that services remained sustainable in the longer-term.

The Clinical Chair outlined work undertaken with providers regarding the clinical pathway, lessons learned from previous reconfiguration in Bradford and Airedale, and the future focus of Stroke Services.

It was also highlighted that the long-term future of the hyper-acute stroke unit at Harrogate Hospital remained in doubt, largely due to current and predicted patient numbers, potential patient safety matters and associated workforce issues.  Notwithstanding the issue regarding Harrogate Hospital, one of the main recommendations arising from the review was there should be no further reconfiguration proposals of hyper-acute stroke services across the geography of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Partnership.

The Joint Committee’s discussions covered a range of matters, including:

·  Concern regarding the limited information presented in the written report submitted to the Joint Committee in advance of the meeting, with an over-reliance on a verbal report and update – which made it difficult for a range of stakeholders, including members of the Joint Committee and also interested members of the public not in attendance. 

·  The development of any outline business cases and how these had been developed across the network, including links to social care providers.

·  Processes to engage and consult on the outline business case, due to be considered by the Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups in September 2018. 

·  Recognition of proposed configuration of services to provide equitable access to acute service response within 72 hours of an incident, with patients then moving to units nearer their home.

·  Measures, including GP training, would seek to identify and take a preventative approach with patients at a higher risk of experiencing a stroke, which would potentially reduce the number of acute service requests.

The Joint Committee noted the intention to provide a more detailed update for consideration by the JHOSC at its October 2018 meeting, which was likely to consist of the details reported to the Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups in September 2018, with the associated outcomes. Members of the Joint Committee requested this should include specific details on the preventative aspects of the care pathway and how local authorities would support the care aspect of rehabilitation.

RESOLVED –

a)  To note the contents of the report and the information provided at the meeting.

b)  That future reports relating to specific programmes of work from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care partnership, provide sufficient information, in advance of attending the meeting, to allow proper consideration of the matters under consideration.. 

c)  To note the intention to provide a more detailed update for consideration by the JHOSC at its October 2018, as noted at the meeting. 

(Councillor Flynn withdrew from the meeting for a short while)