Scrutiny review of community hospital consultation
Public consultation on proposals to reform the way health services are delivered in Devon will be the focus of review by Devon County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The proposals from NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are part of their Transforming Community Services programme. A major consultation is now underway, and Devon County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee will oversee this process.
The purpose of the Transforming Community Services (TCS) Programme is to set the strategic direction, design and delivery for community services in the area covered by NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Following extensive engagement and national policy and local health needs, the Strategic Framework ‘Integrated, personal and sustainable: Community services for the 21st Century’ has now been agreed. This provides the strategic vision for the next five years and beyond.
The Strategic Framework sets out the need for change, focusing on three main themes of preventive and personalised support, pathways for people with complex health needs and urgent care in the community.
The engagement process just being launched will seek to consult the public on more detailed proposals set out the next layer of detail in the TCS programme, which aim to develop preventive services, achieving care at home and the future role of community services including community hospitals.
At their meeting on the 18 September, the Scrutiny Committee considered the process and key themes of engagement on the commissioning proposals for CCG locality areas in Northern, Eastern and Southern Devon. The period of engagement will involve and consult with patients, carers, communities and stakeholders before decisions are made. There will also be opportunities for the Committee to examine these proposals and the outcomes of the consultation process in more detail.
Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Richard Westlake, said: “These proposals will affect a large number of communities across the county, so it’s really important that they have their say.
“There is an increasing emphasis from health providers on preventive care, and the focus for future provision is on integrating community health and social care services for the future, to minimise fragmentation of care and to design the future community provision in the best interests of patients and the population, and these proposals reflect this focus.
“Our role as a scrutiny committee is to oversee the engagement process and ensure it is as robust and equitable as possible. There will be a number of ways in which people can have their say, but I could encourage everyone to get involved in the consultation, either on line, or at the events being held across the county.
“We do not have the power to make a decision or influence these proposals, but we will at a later stage be invited to give our views on them as part of the process.
“There is a need for more detailed information in relation to proposals for the role of community hospitals and what this would mean in practice in different parts of the county.”
Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Vice Chairman Debo Sellis said. “It is clear that there are significant changes ahead in how the Clinical Commissioning Group will be managing care delivery, access to services and future health care development.
“Public Health sits with our local authority and the drive and emphasis to promote and support the TCS will place much store in preventing disease and championing health and wellbeing right across the board.
“The Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee will examine many areas; however, residents of Devon have an opportunity to find out more and to submit comment.”
Devon Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee will consider the contents of the locality proposals published at their next meeting on 17 November, where feedback received from the process to date will be given.
For further information on the proposals or to take part in the consultation visit the website http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-servic...
