Meeting documents

Further to the briefing paper on the re-configuration of the vascular service which was circulated to Members in May and the subsequent meeting between the Chairman and the relevant clinicians, this item will provide further information on the following areas.

1.    Communications plan;

2.    Patient pathways both pre and post the change;

3.    Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) data update

Attendees:

Aarti Chapman, Associate Director, Strategic Clinical Network and Senate

Andrea Collins, Head of Communications and Engagement, NHS England South (South Central)

Cliodhna Ni Ghuidhir, Thames Valley Vascular Network and Service Manager, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Chairman welcomed Dr A Chapman, Associate Director, Strategic Clinical Network and Senate, Ms A Tysom (in replace of Ms A Collins, Head of Communications and Engagement, NHS England South), Ms Cliodhna Ni Ghuidhir, Thames Valley Vascular Network and Service Manager, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The following main points were made during the presentation:-

·         Clinical Senate was made up of a group who can provide information and make recommendations on issues which had been referred to then by NHS England.

·         Ms Tysom circulated copies of all the communications which were provided in the run-up to the 1 September when the Carotid Endarterectomy Surgery moved from Wycombe Hospital to the John Radcliffe Hospital.  These materials had been shared with all the key stakeholders and those patients who would be affected by the change.

·         Carotid Endarterectomy was described as a surgical procedure to unblock a carotid artery, which, if left untreated, could lead to a stroke.

·         Patients requiring this specialist procedure would have access to a specialist vascular team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

·         Day surgery, pre-operative care and follow-ups will continue to be offered locally to reduce the need to travel.

·         The changes were based on national clinical guidance and best practice and ensure the safety of patients and ongoing provision of services.

·         The Clinical Senate would be reviewing the service in 6 months’ time.

·         PROMS (Patient Reported Outcome Measures) update - A mixed-methods approach to investigating patient experiences in the network was chosen, entailing a questionnaire sent to all patients in the network and qualitative interviews with a specific patient cohort.  This project sought to gain feedback from patients on their experiences of care across the network.

·         The questionnaire was posted to each inpatient treated in the Thames Valley Vascular Network whose primary cause for admission was a vascular condition, starting with those discharged in May.  The response rate of patients was approximately 34%.

·         The network team decided to focus on patients treated for urgent conditions.  The Network manager undertook to interview a minimum of three patients from each trust on different pathways in order to compare experiences across the network – eight interviews had taken place to date.  It was agreed to report the results of both the qualitative interviews and questionnaires research to the Committee once a sufficient sample size for the questionnaire is reached.

ACTION: NHS England to share this research with the HASC when it has been completed.

·         A Member commented that transport was a key issue for patients and family members but through Patient Transfer Services and Patient Community Transport, some patients were eligible for assistance with getting to and from their Hospital appointments.  It was acknowledged that access to specialist services would involve an increase in travel times but every effort would be made for follow-up calls to be undertaken locally.  A Member referred to the Better Healthcare in Bucks review which highlighted transport as a major issue at the time.

The Chairman concluded by highlighting the need for good communication and ensuring consistent messages are provided to the public.

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