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News | Health


downsmail.co.uk Local GPs ‘to retain power’


FURTHER planned changes in strategic control of the localNHS has raised concerns regarding pa- tient services in theGP-led budget-holdingNHSWestKentClinicalCommissioningGroup (CCG).


These local commissioning


groups took over nationwide al- most five years ago, in April 2013, fromprimary care trusts and eight now serve Kent (West Kent, Dart- ford, Gravesham& Swanley,Med- way, Swale, Canterbury&Coastal, Ashford, Thanet and South Kent Coast). The appointed commissioners


are allGPs practising in their areas, supported by teams of officers. In west Kent, there have been 12


GP commissioners on the group’s governing body, but these have re- cently been reduced to seven to match the number of newGP clus- ters now formed in this area. Those elected are: Dr Garry Singh (Maidstone Central), Dr Tony Jones (Malling), Dr Andrew Rox- burgh (Sevenoaks), Dr Nick Cheales (Tonbridge), Dr Bob Bowes (Tunbridge Wells), Dr An- drewCameron (Weald),Dr Stefano Santini (Maidstone Wide). Dr David Chesover will hold his seat ex-officio and continue as clinical lead formental health. Now, a newrole of area strategic


commissioner forKent andMedway isbeingestablishedwiththe full sup- port ofNHSWestKentCCG. It will start working in shadow


form from April 1, for 12 months, during which time decisions will be taken about what will be commis- sioned locally bywestKent commis- sioners and what will be done at scale across the county. Dr Bob Bowes, chairman of NHS


West Kent CCG since its inception, has assured the group that it will


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retain “its statutory accountability and the proposed arrangementwas only for a transitional phase”. He reiterated the importance of


Kent and Medway groups work- ing together. He also gave assurances that pa-


tient and local care would not be compromised and remained a key focus forWest Kent CCG. Maidstone area GP Dr Singh has


expressed concerns that local key voices could potentially be un- heard beyond April, 2019. The current proposals have not


yet addressed this issue and Dr Bowes explained it was possible for the CCG to influence this process.


An assurance has been given to


the group that it would still be re- sponsible for “total control”.


 The emergence of an area


strategic commissioner comes at the same time as all clinical commissioning groups in Kent are working closely on a sus- tainability and transformation plan for the future of health and social care in the county. A key thrust is more care in or closer to home with less dependence on hospitals.


 The CCG is encouraging local GPs to make robust use of an in- vigorated “quality inbox” to raise any concerns.


150 foreign GPs destined for Kent


THE serious shortage of local NHS staff, including GPs, is in- creasingly evident in reports to the GP-led West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Kent has been approved to re-


cruit 150 international GPs for the area. Interviews have started and west Kent will receive an agreed percentage. A bid has also been made to set


up a medical school and the group has been informed this “would have a significant im- pact” for the new GP clusters with regards student placements. Some see west Kent as having a


geographical advantage for re- cruitment because of its proxim- ity to Europe and London


32 Maidstone April 2018


(“currently saturated”). The GP shortage is causing


concerns about the impact on the existing workforce trying to cover the shortfalls and the pro- posed local care plan requiring seven-day working by practices. There have been previous re-


ports about the extent of vacan- cies in local hospitals and in the ambulance service. Shortages are increasingly evi-


dent elsewhere, including in mental health. Kent and Medway Partnership Trust in-patient units have a vacancy rate of 35%. Both Maidstone Community Mental Health and West Kent Crisis Res- olution Home Treatment Service have a rate of 17%. Many patients


complain of lack of a care plan and do not know what their treat- ment and options are.


New staff can add to problems while they are in training. This is a major reason for an increase in serious incidents (including pa- tient trips and falls) within the hospital trust, where the quar- terly figures have jumped from 27 in Q1 of 2016-17 to 54 in Q3 of 2017-18.


 The local ambulance service (SECAmb), still in special meas- ures, is not helped by a report which says only 32% of staff rec- ommend it as a place to work and only 75% recommend care pro- vided by the trust.


A lile more


cash to spend GOVERNMENT funds for CCGs (including West Kent) are to in- crease by £1.4bn in 2018/19 aimed at “realistic levels of emergency ac- tivity”; additional elective activity to tackle waiting lists; adherence to mental health standards; transfor- mation commitments for cancer services and primary care. West Kent expects to have almost


£8m extra to deploy on top of the current year’s budget of £627.14m.


Need to improve


ALBION Place Medical Practice, Maidstone, remains in special measures and the CCG works closely with it to improve.


Cancer care trend


AN improvement of 7.22% to al- most 81% of patients starting can- cer treatment within 62 days of urgent GP referral has been achieved by increasing capacity – a trend expected to be sustained.


Care home liaison


ALMOST 50 of 71 care homes in west Kent are now covered by a new strategy of liaison and care by local GP practices. The CCG expresses concern for


seven homes where nearby prac- tices are unwilling to sign up at this stage and suggests “positive expe- rience by other practices may help in this process of persuasion”.


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