Agenda item

The Chairman of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Alison Cornelius welcomed all attendees to the meeting.

She noted two corrections to the previous minutes:

·       On page 6 of the minutes, deletion of comma to read:

Selina Rodrigues, - Manager, Healthwatch Barnet

·       Inclusion of the word ‘the’ in the penultimate paragraph to read:

Ms. Clifford informed the Committee that one of the challenges facing dental care is that the level of UDAs had not been increased for many years despite the significant increase in the population

Matters arising from the previous meeting:

·       The Chairman noted that, following a request, the Committee had received information pertaining to the Capital Nurse Programme, Exit Interviews and CQC.

·       It was noted that data for nurse retention statistics was still outstanding.

·       Further information was also outstanding in respect of:

-        The recruitment of 30 Patient and Family Experience Partners and an explanation of the role of a ‘Partner’ (p.5 of the previous minutes)

-        The root cause analysis of the 47 cases of C.Diff across the Trust against a target of 39 cases. (p.5 of the previous minutes)

-        details of the web-based survey to analyse the experience of bereaved families and friends.

·       The Chairman provided an update in respect of the parking situation at Barnet Hospital. She informed the Committee that a planning application had been submitted to the Council which included the proposal to replace a cycling lane with 26 additional parking spaces. The Hospital had also applied to retain the portacabins for a further five years, but Chipping Barnet Area Planning Committee which met on 18 January 2018 had reduced this to six months.

The Chairman informed the Committee that she had received a letter from Kay Matthews, Chief Operating Operator, Barnet CCG, and Dr. Debbie Frost, Chair, Barnet CCG on issues surrounding the full utilisation of Finchley Memorial Hospital.  The Chairman informed the Committee that the letter had highlighted the following points:

·     Barnet CCG has been assisting the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) to move the mobile service that the North London Breast Screening Service provides at Finchley Memorial Hospital into a new, purpose built unit on the site.  Barnet CCG will continue to work with RFL and Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to have the service operational by June 2018.  This will also assist with the CCG’s plans to reduce the vacant space at FMH.

·     The 17 bed Adams Ward at FMH is caring for patients who are ready to leave acute beds at Barnet and the Royal Free but who require ongoing assessment and individual discharge packages before returning home.

·     The recent opening of Adams Ward and the new Breast Screening Unit will take the amount of space let to NHS providers at Finchley from 75% to approximately 90%. 

Following the update from the Chairman, the Committee asked the following questions in relation to Adams Ward: 

1. What is the average length of stay on the Ward?

2. What is the through-put?

3. Adams Ward has 17 beds - is it at capacity all the time and, if          

    not, how full is it?

The Chairman undertook to raise the Committee’s questions with Barnet CCG and report back.

RESOLVED that subject to the two corrections noted above, the minutes of the previous meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 4 December 2017 be agreed as a correct record.