Agenda item

The Chairman updated the Committee in relation to minute items from the 12 December 2013 meeting as follows:

i)         Item 1 (Transport Services – Finchley Memorial Hospital) – the Chairman reported that she had undertaken a site survey with Peter Cragg, a member of the Finchley Memorial Hospital Estates Group, to gauge demand for an on-site bus service.  At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr Cragg addressed the Committee.  He reported that during the first 30 minutes of the survey it had been ascertained that 21 hospital users had driven.  During the whole survey it was ascertained that five had arrived by bus, three by hospital transport, one by bike and five had been driven by relatives or carers.  Of those that had driven themselves, only two had indicated that they might have used public transport and an on-site bus service to access the hospital instead of driving.  It was emphasised that it would be difficult to gauge potential demand at this time because two new GP practices that were relocating to Finchley Memorial Hospital (FMH) had not yet come on site.  The practices were expected to be operating in April or May.  The Chairman reported that the following walking distances had been measured: Accessing the site from Ballards Lane (Bow Lane) would require hospital users to walk an additional 213 meters (over and above the distance from the old hospital entrance); Accessing the site from Finchley High Road would require hospital users to walk an additional 38 meters (over and above the distance from the old hospital entrance).  A Member informed the Committee that there was an Age UK petition which had been calling for a bus service at FMH.

ii)        Item 5 (Members’ Item – GP Services at Finchley Memorial Hospital) – at the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Cooke addressed the Committee in relation to this minute item. He advised the Committee that it had been his understanding that it had been reported at the meeting on 12 December 2013 that Dr Thwe had been given notice to leave her current premises by 31 January 2014.  Councillor Cooke noted that Dr Thwe was still at the practice and questioned whether the committee’s intervention had delayed the closure of the practice.  He advised the Committee that it was Dr Thew’s preference to move to 110 Ballards Lane, but this had been prevented by NHS England who were forcing her to relocate to FMH.  Councillor Cooke advised the Committee that this information had not been reflected in the minutes of the 12 December 2013 meeting.  The Chairman advised the Committee that when these points had been discussed at the meeting on 12 December 2013, the Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group Chief Officer had reported that NHS England could only require GP contracts to be renegotiated if all of the practice partners had retired.  As Dr Thwe was still a partner at the practice, NHS England would not be able to force her to move or end her General Medical Services (GMS) contract.

iii)       Item 7 (Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy) – the Committee noted Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Programme Office had confirmed that the new car park at Barnet Hospital was now open.

iv)       Item 8 (NHS Quality Accounts – Mid Year Update) – in relation to the section on BEH MHT, the Chairman highlighted that the ward which had seen improvements was The Oaks Ward at Chase Farm Hospital.  The Committee agreed that the wording of the minutes should be amended to reflect this.

v)        Item 8 (NHS Quality Accounts – Mid Year Update) – in relation to the section on Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust (BEH MHT), the Chairman reported that a special meeting of the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (NCL JHOSC) comprising Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Members only had taken place on 3 February 2014.  The meeting had been attended by Clinical Commissioning Groups, Cabinet Members and local Healthwatch’s.  A follow-up meeting on issues relating to BEH MHT would be taking place on 24 March 2014

vi)       Item 8 (NHS Quality Accounts – Mid Year Update) – the Committee noted a correction to the spelling of the word RESOLVED and requested the minutes should be amended to reflect this.   

vii)     Item 14 (Minutes of the NCL JHOSC – 4 October 2013) – the Committee noted that the requirements for the acquisition by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust of Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust had been considered at the NCL JHOSC on 7 February 2014.

viii)    The Chairman reported that she had been advised that 40 – 45 women per day were visiting the Breast Screening Unit at Finchley Memorial Hospital and that the backlog had almost been cleared.

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on the 12 December 2013 be agreed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:

i)          A reference to The Oaks Ward as detailed at item iv) above; and

ii)         A reference to Dr Thwe being given notice to quit by NHS England by 31 January 2014 as outlined in ii) above.