Report of the Director of Strategy, MFT and Locality Director of Strategy/Provider Collaboration

This report presents an update regarding the dissolution of the former Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust and re-provision of services by both Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Strategy, MFT and Locality Director of Strategy/Provider Collaboration that provided an update regarding the dissolution of the former Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust (PAHT) and re-provision of services by both Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and the Northern Care Alliance (NCA). The report advised that this was the third phase of change proposals arising from the dissolution of PAHT.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing a background to the acquisition of the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust;

·         An overview of the disaggregation approach and context of complex services;

·         A summary of proposals to disaggregate the third phase of complex services namely Dexa (bone density) scanning, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Urology and Trauma & Orthopaedics; and

·         A summary of the assessment of the impact of these proposed changes on North Manchester residents in terms of quality, equality, patient choice, travel and access.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Recognising the significant work that had been undertaken to progress this work;

·         Recognising and welcoming the patient centred approach;

·         Noting the importance of car parking for both patients and staff and in doing so welcoming the development of the multistorey car park facility at the North Manchester General Hospital site;

·         Recognising that the work described in the report was part of the wider economic regeneration of north Manchester; and

·         Would there be ongoing monitoring of the impacts on patient experience following implementation of the changes described. 

The Locality Director of Strategy/Provider Collaboration (MICP) described that there had been significant work undertaken via the public engagement exercise on the issue of patient travel, including consideration of the cost associated with travel and a summary of these findings had been presented in the report. She described that information on travel options would now be routinely included in appointment letters that would be sent to patients. The Director of Strategy, MFT added that the public engagement events had identified that a lot of patients did not know what their options were in relation to public transport. Regarding the multistorey car park to be delivered at North Manchester General Hospital it was noted that this would alleviate issues associated with on-street parking experienced by local residents.

The Director of Strategy, MFT informed the Members that each phase of the disaggregation process that had been reported to the Committee would be monitored. The Chair commented that the Committee would be interested to learn of these findings once collated.

The Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care said that he welcomed the report. He commented that he was very appreciative of the ongoing dialogue between the Trust and the Council from the early stages of planning of this programme of work.

Decisions

The Committee;

1.  Endorse the progress Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Care Alliance have made to disaggregate services from the legacy Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust footprint; and

2.  Endorse the assessment made by the working group that the changes identified in phase 3 do not constitute a ‘substantial variation’.