Issue - meetings

Paul Roach, Programme Director of Primary Care Transformation, NHS England, introduced the report and gave a presentation which explained how the NHS England was working towards a five year view for London, including the ‘new deal’ for GPs and the importance of the CCG in setting specifications and commissioning of services that will provide GP services in the future.  The Board’s attention was drawn to the ‘Call to Action’ and the challenges that GP practices in London would be facing and how the framework would bring all 32 CCGs and NHS England / London together and were advised that around 2,000 people had been involved in testing the framework and its aims.  The Board noted that NHS England felt the framework would:

·  Provide better joined up care and the right investment in better premises

·  Improve accountability as it set out clearer expectations and people could raise concerns with NHS England.

Councillor Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, asked what would be the most significant difference she would find in five years time.  Paul Roach advised that GPs would be able to understand and support medical conditions and access facilities for individualised care, including social and health care pathways, possibly through local access through a group of practices. 

Councillor Turner raised the issue of accountability of GP practices, particularly in regards to ease of access and delivering public health aims.  Paul Roach responded that the new contractual forms would within the next five years ensure that funding is available for the correct level of health professionals across the range of conditions and needs. 

Councillor Turner commented that any member of the public could complain but it was essential that expectation levels were set and new modern ways of working and different media methods were utilised for the modern world in which we now live.

Anne Bristow, Corporate Dierector of Adult and Community Services, indicated that there were at least 6.8m people in the NHS London area but it is not clear where problems are reported, to whom and when, within the NHS / GP structures.  Anne Bristow also commented that local people would like an appointment within a reasonable time and it was not all about major investments and solutions at a London level may in reality not improve local problems on the ground.  Paul Roach responded that the answer lay with co-commissioning and work would need to be undertaken at a much more local CCG level with the knowledge and understanding of what the needs were locally.

Councillor Worby commented that whilst the principle of the framework and objectives were fine, she was concerned that the co-commissioning was cross London and this could be a retrograde step and move us back to where we were two years ago.  Connor Burke agreed that all public organisations delivery of services needed to be at a local level and meet local needs and understood why there were some concerns as London was a large area with diverse needs and inherent differences between  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91