Decision details

The Board received a presentation from the BHRUT Chief Medical Officer (CMO) who provided an overview of the current position in developing its Clinical Strategy, including future developments and the next steps to improve patient care, setting out the details of the emerging priorities and themes which followed recent public and stakeholder engagement.

The presentation covered the local context, the reasons and case for change, the key principles and objectives as well as details of the three priorities that have emerged to improve patient care namely:

-  Work to improve a number of services that can begin immediately as detailed

-  Potential consolidation of some services onto fewer sites to make services more sustainable, and

-  Work to build partnerships with other organisations to provide the best possible specialised services for the local population

The CMO stressed that this was not a standalone strategy and that for it to be successful it had to work with the wider BHR system as well as the Boroughs and local communities. That said she recognised that Barking and Dagenham does not have a local hospital and that this compounded matters.

Given the current coronavirus crisis the Director of Public Health asked what opportunities might arise to take things forward more quickly?  The CMO explained that there were already discussions about using digital technology for patient appointments as well as online and telephone consultations, all of which had been planned but which was now coming forward more quickly.

The Chair stated that the strategy provides a clear pathway to influence outcomes and consequently she asked Board Members to review the strategy as presented and to feedback any comments direct to the CMO.