Agenda item

To receive Finance and Performance Reports from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group in relation to Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

Mrs S Shuttlewood and Mr R Murphy, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, will be in attendance for this item.

Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels (Economic Well-Being) and (Environmental Well-Being) have been invited to attend for this item.

30 Minutes.

(Mrs S Shuttlewood, Acting Director of Performance and Delivery and Mr R Murphy, Acting Local Chief Officer for the Huntingdonshire System, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, were in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillor Mrs M Banerjee was in attendance for this item).

With the aid of report prepared by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Panel was updated on the financial and operational performance of the Clinical Commissioning Group across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area, with particular reference to the performance of Hinchingbrooke Hospital. In introducing the report, Mrs S Shuttlewood, Acting Director of Performance and Delivery, drew Members’ attention to the fact that that the Commissioning Group had officially come into operation on 1st April 2013 and that this was the first performance report which had been submitted to the Governing Body to date. It was reported that all providers had struggled to meet desired performance levels in the first quarter owing to the adverse weather conditions in April 2013, but that most providers had now recovered and were reaching their performance targets.

Mr R Murphy, Acting Local Chief Officer for the Huntingdonshire System, then delivered an outline of the performance levels achieved at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. It was noted that the Accident and Emergency Department had been ranked as the top performing facility nationally in January 2013. He reiterated that the poor weather experienced in April had placed additional pressures on the Trauma Orthopaedic Department at the time but, on a more positive note, the Hospital was achieving its cancer waiting times and there had been no outbreaks of MRSA on site. There had been delays with diagnostic waiting times, which were attributed to staff sickness. In addition, Ambulance handover times had been identified as a further area of concern but an audit of the service was currently being undertaken and an action plan would be developed with a view to improving performance.

The Panel received clarification of the differences between the Commissioning Group’s running cost budget and its programme budget. An explanation was also delivered of the differences between the previous Primary Care Trust model of provision and the new Commissioning model. In response to Members’ concern at the possible fragmentation of services across the area, the Acting Director of Performance and Delivery reported that the Commissioning Group worked within a federated model which utilised existing data sources such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and considered historic areas of spend. It should be a stronger delivery model than the previous one. She added that Local Clinical Commissioning Groups would be able to identify specific health trends and, therefore, would be best placed to take decisions on local matters.

The Panel discussed a number of matters including the effective utilisation of resources within the Clinical Commissioning Group and, in particular, how this applied to community medicines. Members then considered the accountability mechanisms in place, the powers of the Commissioning Group to undertake unannounced visits at Hospitals, the sanctions available to the Commissioning Group and the process for imposing fines together with the risks associated with the imposition of financial penalties on providers. The Commissioning Group’s view of providers was partly informed by the new Friends and Family test which was being employed by providers nationally. In addition there was a requirement to report upon defined health standards.

With regard to the Commissioning Group’s financial position, Members noted its intention to clarify its funding allocation as it appeared up to £6m had been withheld for specialist treatments which had previously been included within the Primary Care Trust’s budget. Further on financial matters comment was made that there should be engagement with the community on areas where funding should be directed.

A question was then raised by a Member on the Commissioning Group’s short to medium term priorities. These were reported as being the development of a strategy for end of life care, improving communications across the board and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease amongst the population. Some priority also was accorded to care for older people.

Members were advised that in Huntingdonshire social care services and health services adopted close working practices. It was thought that these services might be integrated in the future provided there was a justifiable case to do so. The view was then expressed that there was a need for a culture change on the part of local GPs in the way they worked alongside local authorities and elected Members.

Having thanked the Acting Director of Performance and Delivery and Acting Local Chief Officer for the Huntingdonshire System for their attendance at the meeting, the Panel welcomed representatives of the Commissioning Group back in six months time to deliver a further update.