Minutes from the Southwark Pensioners Forum on NHS Reforms March 22Nd 2013, Inspire Centre

Minutes from the Southwark Pensioners Forum on NHS Reforms – March 22nd 2013, Inspire Centre, Liverpool Grove, Southwark

Number of attendees: 100 people including speakers and volunteers – the full sign in sheet has been filed at SPC.

SPC staff present: Verusca Calabria (SPF Officer), Neil White (SPC Director), Nafisa Mirza (SPC volunteer), Madeleine (SPC volunteer).

SPF committee: Denise Nichols (SPF temporary chair), Kurbain Haji, John Bland, Tom White, Ian Adams.

Clinical Commissioning Group: Dr Heaversedge (GP), Rebecca Scott (NHS Programme Director), Rosemary Watts (Head of Membership and Engagement).

Independent Speakers: Malcolm Alexander, Chair of National Association of Links members, Chair of Patients Forum for the London Ambulance Service; Tom White, Lay Inspector of Care Homes, member of the Older Persons Partnership Board, SPAG spokesperson on Mental and Health Matters, member of the Southwark Pensioners Committee.

A very successful Forum event took place on Friday 22nd March, which was chaired by Denise Nichols. Denise introduced the current work of the Forum – explaining the recent success of the partnership between SPC and Age UK Southwark and Lewisham in gaining funding to put in place Verusca Calabria, a new member of staff that supports the work of the Forum. Denise also thanked Charlie Cherill as former Chair of the Southwark Pensioners Forum for all his hard work and dedication over the years.

Presentations

Jonty Heaversedge (GP at Manor Place surgery) from the Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group gave a presentation to explain what the local clinical commissioning groups are and what their responsibilities will be including their strategy for engaging with service users in Southwark in order to adequately scope their needs. Jonty stressed that the new changes come into place on 1st of April 2013. These changes require both professionals in the health service and patients to get actively involved in choosing services that better reflect the needs of local people.

Rebecca Scott (Programme Director) presented the Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) findings on their initial consultation with service users in the Dulwich area – which for the purpose of their consultation also includes the following areas: South Peckham, south Camberwell, Herne Hill, and the Forest Hill border.

Rebecca Scott stressed the CCGs’ strong willingness to involve local residents in the shaping of future health services in Southwark. CCGs will start to work much more collaboratively to decide what the health services should look like – in collaboration with users. There are 46 GP practices in Southwark – which make up the working group that will make decisions about services in Southwark – Rebecca stressed that all of these GP practices are extremely committed to support the work of the Southwark CCGs; these practices have begun the process of consulting with their patients and that they will be directly responsible for contracting services from hospitals and community organisations. Her presentation outlined the different groups of individuals living in Southwark and their assumed health needs and 4 groups of services by which health services will be divided by in the borough, namely:

1-health care for everyone

2-preventive health care

3-pregnant women and families with young children

4-people with long term conditions including mental health and older people.

Rebecca explained about the new Engagement and Patient Experience Committee that is being set up (EPEC) to monitor & act on patient experience and to monitor & advise on engagement. This committee will meet 6 times per year. The committee will be made up of representatives from Locality PPGs, Community Action Southwark, Healthwatch and the Forum for Equality and Human Rights in Southwark. Rebecca stressed the importance of grass-root voices to be reflected to the top decision makers via this new committee.

The audience was informed about a further consultation event happening on the 10th of April 2013 to capture their thoughts about what community services should look like – information available on the registration desk.

Also a copy of the CCG’s presentation is available by request through SPC.

Panel Discussion

A lively panel question time took place, chaired by Denise Nichols (SPC trustee and temporary SPF chair). Dr Heaversedge and Rebecca Scott were joined by Rosemary Watts, Head of Membership and Engagement, and Malcolm Alexander, Chair of National Association of Links members, Chair of Patients Forum for the London Ambulance Service and Tom White, Lay Inspector of Care Homes, member of the Older Persons Partnership Board, SPAG spokesperson on Mental and Health Matters, member of the Southwark Pensioners Committee.

The clear message that emerged from the panel discussion was to ensure that older people’s voices are heard and taken into account by the Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group when researching local needs and commissioning for relevant services. The audience was encouraged to make sure their voices are heard by getting involved to ensure their needs and concerns are taken into account by the CCG group.

The following are the main questions/issues that emerged from the audience:

Mental health needs in the borough are poorly recognised and the CCG will need to make sure that people receive the right support
Serious concerns about privatisation of health services
What will happen with the result of the CCG’s consultations - will people have access to the findings and how will the findings be used?
A complaint that the CCG’s –the first consultation did not mention the Dulwich Hospital site redevelopment concerns were raised to what is going to happen to the land that will not be used from the new health centre’s site
What benefits if any are there for patients as a result of these changes?
Will there be GP services at night/out of hours?
Will clinicians fund the right services?
What is the arrangement being made for people living alone?
Why isn’t there a dedicated help line for older people?

The overall response from the CCG is summarised below:

GPs have begun talking to patients and then using their voices to influence how services are provided. All of the consultations are being documented electronically, including service provision and patient satisfaction. Out of hours services in Southwark are run by a cooperative of doctors working together: SELL DOC (out of hours doctor’s service).
In terms of privatising health services, the CCG responded that this issue is outside of their remit and that privatisation is an issue for central government. However Malcolm Alexander stressed that the government has instructed the local CCG to go out and tender and that CCGS have the power to go back to central government to respond to these issues.
The CCG informed the audience that the Health and Wellbeing Boards specifically focus on tackling loneliness in the borough.
Malcolm Alexander explained that the knowledge of the way the system works is pivotal otherwise there could be dire consequences – he appealed to the CCG to make sure there is a system that everybody can use in Southwark to get rapid action – especially vulnerable people.
Rebecca Scott explained that often people end up in A and E when there is no need. A new system is coming into place for Southwark – NHS 111 is a new service that’s being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services. You cancall 111when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. Rebecca Scott also explained that an external organisation will be collating and analysing all responses to the consultation – which will be made publicly available and will be made part of the process of making decisions in late summer – August/September time.
Rebecca also added that the Betty Alexander Clinic in Dulwich has been under long discussion. Their services will be moved back to Denmark Hill site to gain access to more specialised services. Patients’ care has improved as a result of it. The site space will be used according to the results of the consultation – bearing in mind population changes. Part of it may be used by the local authority to use for community services, first it will be offered to other NHS organisations and then other local government agencies. If the land is not required it will go on to the open market.
Rosemary Watts reiterated that CCGs are well placed because they are led by clinicians who see patients every day. They need to hear these issues directly from users of their services. It is the beginning of their journey and they have an absolute commitment towards delivering a good service.
Denise Nicholls closed the Forum by concluding that the audience in attendance represent the voice of older people in Southwark – the above mentioned concerns need to be taken forward; she encouraged participants to write letters and to send some action points where the Forum should make representations, and for everyone to focus on finding a way forward. The audience was invited to raise any further questions/requests for information regarding the NHS reforms via Verusca Calabria, SPF Forum Officer (email: ; tel. 020 7708 4556).

Verusca Calabria made the following announcements:

The Southwark Pensioners Centre is able to sponsor two delegates from the Southwark Pensioners Forum and related groups to attend the next National Pensioners Parliament Convention in Blackpool taking place on the 18th-20th of June 2013. If you are interested in a place, speak to Verusca Calabria, Southwark Pensioners Forum Officer.

The Southwark Pensioners Centre is now recruiting for new volunteer committee members to sit on the Southwark Pensioners Forum committee, a sub-committee of the Pensioners Centre (SPC). For more information please speak to Verusca.
On the 10th of April there will be a consultation taking place at the Southwark Pensioners Centre about putting new activities forward. The consultation takes place between 10.30 and 12.30 a.m. at SPC.

The next Forum will focus on a consultation on the future of housing in the borough in association with the Southwark Council. The event will take place on Wednesday 29th of May 2013 – location to be confirmed.
If anyone here is new to the Forum and/or the activities of the Southwark Pensioners Centre, please speak to Verusca who can make sure you receive information about what we do or check our website.

Announcement from John Morteo – Housing Strategy and Partnerships – leaflets circulated.

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