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Maidstone Borough Council

 

Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Tuesday 20 November 2012

 

Update on the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group

 

Report of: Overview and Scrutiny officer

 

1.      Introduction

 

 

1.1    The Local Government Act 2000 and the Health and Social Care Act 2001 set out statutory functions for local authorities to review and scrutinise matters relating to the planning, provision and operation of health services in the area of its local authority.

 

1.2     The Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a broad remit which includes Health, Partnerships and Community Development.  The Chairman felt it important that the Committee

receive a presentation and verbal update on the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to aid the Committee’s understanding of the future commissioning of health services including GPs and community and hospital services that have historically been commissioned by Primary Care Trust (PCT).

 

2.      Recommendation

 

2.1     The Committee is recommended to consider the presentation and verbal update given by Dr Bob Bowes, Clinical Chair of the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Ian Ayres, Chief Finance Officer and make recommendations as appropriate.

 

2.2        Areas of discussion could include but are not limited to:

         

·         West Kent’s position in terms of finance and resources in comparison to other areas of Kent and nationally;

·         The approach the CCG intend to take with commissioning services that will enable a preventive approach to health services as opposed to a focus on acute care, in line with Government’s outlook;

·         How far the Kent Health and Wellbeing Strategy, currently under consultation, will inform the decisions made by the CCG; and

·         How will the CCG look to involve patients and residents and enable their insight in developing a healthcare system that reflects the need of West Kent?

 

 

 

         

3.      West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group

 

 

3.1     The West Kent CCG is responsible for:

 

• Sevenoaks and the Weald,
• Maidstone,
• Tunbridge Wells
• Tonbridge

 

3.2    It has a reported budget of £525, 373, 568.  The are 64 GP practices in its jurisdiction with a combined list size of 463, 741 patients.

         

3.3    A Clinical Commissioning Group is a group of GPs and other clinicians who have chosen to come together to commission (buy) health services for their local communities. From early 2013, Clinical Commissioning Groups will be responsible for commissioning NHS services for patients in England. All GPs will be part of a CCG. They will replace Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). CCGs will be responsible for commissioning hospital services (elective, acute and emergency) and most community health services (for example district nurses), and mental health services. The 151 PCTs have already been organised into 51 clusters in preparation for the change. There will be a period of dual functioning as CCGs evolve.

 

 

3.4    Commissioning is the term used in the public sector for buying services. It is a structured way of deciding how public money should be spent. In the case of the NHS, commissioning relates to the provision of health services. Commissioning healthcare and health services is the process of examining:

 

·         The healthcare needs of the area;

·         The way in which healthcare services are delivered; and

·         Ways in which healthcare resources will offer the best overall value for money.

 

3.5    Health services, such as GPs and community and hospital services have historically been commissioned by PCTs. This way of buying in services has meant that GPs and other clinicians, who are the best placed to advise on their patients needs, have been removed from the process.

 

3.6    The health White Paper: Equity & Excellence: Liberating the NHS was published in July 2010. The White Paper reinforced the that , in time, much of the responsibility for commissioning health services would be given over to clinicians including GPs.

 

3.7    CCGs will have governing bodies.  In addition to GPs, a least one registered nurse and a doctor who is a secondary care specialist will sit on this board.

3.8    The CCGs will be overseen by the newly formed independent NHS Commissioning Board which will make sure that CCGs have the capacity and capability to commission services successfully and to meet their financial responsibilities. The NHS Commissioning Board became fully operational in April 2012 and includes a range of healthcare professionals, and has Medical Director and a Chief Nursing Officer on its board. The NHS Commissioning Board are responsible for directly commissioning:

 

·         Pharmacy services;

·         General Practice;

·         Dentistry services; and

·         Specialist services (specialised services that are required by a limited number of people).

 

 

3.9    At a local level, new Health and Wellbeing Boards will be set up in local authorities to ensure that CCGs are meeting the needs of local people. The membership of these boards will include representatives from:

 

·         Clinical Commissioning Groups;

·         Directors of public health;

·         Children’s services;

·         Adult Social Services;

·         Elected Councillors; nad

·         Healthwatch (representing the views of patients, carers and local communities).

 

3.10  These boards have been in place, in shadow form, since April 2012.

 

 

4.      Impact on Corporate Objectives

 

4.1     The Committee will consider reports that deliver against the     following Council priorities:

 

·       ‘For Maidstone to be a decent place to live.’

 

4.2     The Strategic Plan sets the Council’s key objectives for the medium   term and has a range of objectives which support the delivery of   the Council’s priorities.