Decision details

GP Services - Brunswick Park Health Centre and Finchley Memorial Hospital

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Committee received public comments from Mr Daniel Hope, Chairman of the East Barnet Residents Association, in relation to the Brunswick Park Health Centre.  Members commended the work of the Association in highlighting this issue and seeking a resolution to enable GP services to return to the Brunswick Park Health Centre. 

 

The Committee welcomed Neil Roberts (Head of Primary Care (North, Central & East London), NHS England) who provided an update on GP services at Brunswick Park Health Centre and Finchley Memorial Hospital.

 

Brunswick Park Health Centre

 

Mr Roberts reported that he had attended a meeting with the two displaced practices on 8 May 2013.  Members noted that NHS Property Services, the landowners, had been unable to attend.  Members noted that NCL London, the body which had been replaced by NHS England as of 1 April 2013, had failed to conclude negotiations in relation to the surgery. 

 

The Committee were informed that NHS England and NHS Property Services had been working on a two track approach to returning services to the Centre.  Track one was based on the two displaced practices (Dr Okonkwo and Dr Lakhani)merging, relocating back to the Health Centre and for the premises to be sold to the GPs.  Track two was to enter into an arrangement with Dr Okonkwo, with the centre being partially occupied.  Members noted that unless the premises was fully occupied there would be an ongoing cost to the practice in relation to void space.  It was noted that the preferred option was to enable the two practices to return at the same time.

 

Members questioned why the GPs were claiming in the local media that they would be subject to additional services charges for moving back into the Centre.  Mr Roberts advised the Committee that service charges were governed by premises regulations which were defined by the District Valuer.  It was noted that the last time that service charges had been levied was in 2009.  Charges had been subject to inflationary increases which had resulted in the increased costs referred to by the GPs.  He added that the GPs would be provided with a detailed breakdown of the figures. 

 

Finchley Memorial Hospital

 

Mr Roberts updated the Committee on GP services at Finchley Memorial Hospital.  He reported that the Chief Officer of Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had been updating local practices on the available space, adding that NHS England and NHS Property Services would soon be meeting with them too.  Members noted that it was planned that all GP space at the hospital would be used. 

 

Responding to a question regarding planning the location of GP practices, Mr Roberts advised the Committee that mapping software was used to identity local demand and capacity and that these measures were used to identify the preferred location for expanded or new practices.  Members noted that the GP premises at Finchley Memorial Hospital were owned by LiftCo not NHS Property Services. 

 

RESOLVED that:-

 

1.             the update from NHS England on GP Services and the Brunswick Park Health Centre and Finchley Memorial Hospital as set out above be noted.

 

2.             NHS England be requested to provide the Committee with details of the cost of security at the Brunswick Park Health Centre.

 

3.             NHS England and NHS Property Services provide an update report on the Brunswick Park Health Centre at the next meeting of the Committee. 

 

Report author: Andrew Charlwood

Publication date: 06/06/2013

Date of decision: 09/05/2013

Decided at meeting: 09/05/2013 - Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: