Decision details

Committee to receive a report from Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group on Adult Audiology, Wax Removal and Community Ear, Nose and Throat Service.

The Chairman invited Dr. Ahmer Farooqi, GP Board Member of Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group, and Theresa Callum, Head of Programmes - Demand Management, Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group, to the table. 

Dr.Farooqi introduced the report and noted that the redesign of the service was driven by the fact that existing provision was very fragmented.  The Committee noted that patients were often subject to a number of referrals between different services in order to be treated.  Dr. Farooqi informed the Committee that the aim of the redesign was to have a service that was designed around the needs of the patient rather than the commissioner and to provide a one-stop service for patients.

Ms.Callum advised the Committee that the Community ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) service currently saw approximately 300 patients per month and that the Adults Audiology ENT service saw approximately 1200 patients per year. The Committee noted that the purpose of the redesign was to bring services into one place so that 95% of patients are able to receive the service they need on one site. 

Responding to a question from a Member, Ms. Callum informed the Committee that the CCG was intending to go out to procurement in January 2016 and hoped to offer the contract to the successful bidder in May 2016, with service commencing on 1 October 2016.  The Committee noted that two of the sites would be located in Finchley and Edgware and that there was more flexibility with the location of the third site. 

A Member questioned if there were any risks associated with the proposal.  Dr. Farooqi advised that one possible drawback was that the redesign might reduce the number of sites where Audiology is available, but noted that in working up the proposals, officers had tried to balance access to individual sites against the benefits of reducing the number of sites but having the services located together. 

The Vice Chairman commented that the proposal seemed very advantageous and requested that the CCG provide another report to the Committee in July 2016.

The Chairman noted that the CCG had received representation from Healthwatch which had been fed in to the service specification.  The Chairman commented that a visit had been scheduled to Age UK and the West Locality Patient Participation Group and questioned if there was an East Locality Patient Participation Group (PPG).  Ms. Callum informed the Committee that General Practices will have their own PPGs but that in the West Locality, PPGs had worked hard to combine patient representatives from all Practices into one group, allowing the CCG to engage with a much larger group of patients.

The Chairman noted that the feedback showed that so far most GPs were in favour of the proposed service redesign. 

RESOLVED that:-

1.    The Committee notes the report.

2.    The Committee requests a further report on the matter at their meeting in July 2016.