Agenda item
The following public questions have been submitted for this meeting.
Question submitted by Buckingham Town Council
Q1. "Buckingham Town Council notes that "Two community hubs are being piloted in Marlow and Thame to help patients take greater control over their care and treatment and avoid hospital admissions" as part of plans to establish an ICS across Bucks
Please can the ICS Leads explain whether it will be one of the ICS priorities to establish something similar with the Buckingham Community Hospital within the next 5 years? And moreover, how will the introduction of the ICS across Bucks noticeably affect the lives of Buckingham people? And how will Buckingham people be able to have a say about all this?"
Question submitted by Ozma, Save Wycombe Hospital Campaign
Q2. How were the Marlow and Thame hospital buildings used during the first wave of the pandemic? Would it be sensible to prepare to use them as step down wards for Covid patients now that numbers in Bucks of Covid cases are on the increase again?
A written response has been sent to Ozma in relation to the other questions – response attached.
Minutes:
Councillor Jon Harvey from Buckingham Town Council read out the following question:
"Buckingham Town Council notes that "Two community hubs are being piloted in Marlow and Thame to help patients take greater control over their care and treatment and avoid hospital admissions" as part of plans to establish an ICS across Bucks.
Please can the ICS Leads explain whether it will be one of the ICS priorities to establish something similar with the Buckingham Community Hospital within the next 5 years? And moreover, how will the introduction of the ICS across Bucks noticeably affect the lives of Buckingham people? And how will Buckingham people be able to have a say about all this?"
Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT), advised that the community hub provision was a Place-based decision and BHT would publish a Strategy towards the end of this financial year which would include a roadmap for the establishment of community provision. N Macdonald added that it was slightly more complicated in Buckingham as the links to hospital services were with Milton Keynes.
Dr James Kent, Accountable Officer, Integrated Care System (ICS,) explained that the ICS consisted of three Places [Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West] and Dr Kent referred to paragraph 1.15 [page 35 of the agenda pack] which listed the aims of integrated care which would be achieved at Place through strong partnership working. Residents would notice greater joined up care, particularly in primary care. There would be less duplication, greater collaboration across providers and shared best practice. Patients and residents would have their say through the normal channels including Patient Participation Groups. If any service changes were planned the normal consultation process would be undertaken.
Cllr Harvey encouraged further public engagement on the issue of health care in Buckingham and advised he was interested in how the ICP would affect people across the whole county and hoped that residents would be involved in systematic changes. The Chairman assured that the Health and Adult Social Care (HASC) Select Committee would be reviewing and challenging the ongoing development plans of the ICP.
The Chairman read out the question below which had been submitted by Ozma, Save Wycombe Hospital Campaign:
How were the Marlow and Thame hospital buildings used during the first wave of the pandemic? Would it be sensible to prepare to use them as step down wards for Covid patients now that numbers in Bucks of Covid cases were on the increase again?
N Macdonald stated that the hospital buildings were used to support the physical location of the community teams, particularly for frail, older people. It would not be sensible or practical to re-establish them as wards as the ability to staff the wards would be more acute than before.
The Chairman advised that three further questions had been received from Ozma and written responses were included in the agenda pack for this meeting. Cllr Khalil Ahmed expressed concern over the substance and brevity of the responses provided. The Chairman suggested Cllr Ahmed speak to Ozma and request any further clarification needed.
The meeting was paused at this point and reconvened after 30 minutes due to technical issues.
Supporting documents:
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