Safer, Better Local Healthcare Gets Green Light
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BEH Clinical Strategy newsletter OCTOBER 2013 HIGH QUALITY AND SAFER HEALTHCARE IN BARNET, ENFIELD AND HARINGEY BARNET Safer, better local healthcare ENFIELD gets green light HARINGEY Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Commissioning Groups gave the approval to make the planned changes agreed under the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy as soon as possible, from 15 November 2013 at their joint governing body meetings held in common on 25 September 2013. The most significant change to health health needs and developments in The decision to move forward services in North London for many healthcare, local clinicians agreed that with the timing of these changes years, the strategy is an integral step changes need to be made to acute is founded on robust, clinically-led to providing residents across the three services at three hospitals – Barnet, decision making. Earlier this month boroughs and neighbouring areas Chase Farm and North Middlesex there was assurance from the boards with the highest quality of care. University hospitals. of directors of both Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust and North With over 300 years of clinical Under these changes, A&E services Middlesex University Hospital NHS experience in the room, there was and labour wards will be moved from Trust that all three hospitals would be almost unanimous agreement (one Chase Farm Hospital, with expanded ready to implement the changes from abstention) on the clinical readiness facilities and staffing at Barnet November, with facilities and staff in for the implementation of the Hospital and NMUH. New facilities place. NHS England also maintains planned changes to services at Chase at Chase Farm include an urgent oversight of the readiness of the Farm, Barnet and the North Middlesex care centre for non life-threatening programme to make the changes. University (NMUH) hospitals. conditions, and assessment centres for children and older people. In response to changing local See page 2 Chase Farm remains open only small percentage of people affected by changes Over 94% of patient journeys for care at Barnet, Chase Farm or the North Middlesex University (NMUH) hospitals will not be affected by these planned changes. The vast majority of patients who currently use Chase Farm Hospital In this issue... will continue to use the same services at Chase Farm. These services include Safer, better local healthcare gets green light 1 urgent care, outpatient, inpatient beds for rehabilitation, planned surgery and Chase Farm Hospital remains open 1 Changes to A&E and urgent care 3 diagnostics such as x rays and blood tests, all of which will continue to be Improved care for older residents 4 provided onsite at Chase Farm Hospital. Care for children 4 Chase Farm Hospital will become the centre for elective surgery (planned Planned changes to maternity and neonatal 5 operations) and we expect there to be fewer cancelled operations because Urgent care saves lives 6 there will be no emergency surgical cases to treat at the hospital. A new GPs invited to find out more about women’s services 7 Come and find out more about the BEH plans 8 document – The New Chase Farm, is available online from www.bcf.nhs.uk Contacts 9 1 BEH Clinical Strategy newsletter HIGH QUALITY AND SAFER HEALTHCARE IN BARNET, ENFIELD AND HARINGEY Chase Farm remains open - only small percentage of people affected by changes Continued from page 1 Since 2007, local residents, campaigners Liz Wise, Chief Officer for Enfield CCG and Senior Responsible and clinicians have been engaged on Officer for the BEH Clinical Strategy said: the best way to deliver the high quality “The Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy is critical health services they need. This clinical to the long term quality of healthcare services across our three boroughs. The decision to move forward now will be a strategy was developed by senior significant benefit to the health of our local residents. clinical staff to improve the health of “Changes under the strategy mean more senior emergency local people, by delivering better, safer doctors in A&E, better maternity care in modern labour care and improving services for patients. wards and improved children’s inpatient services. We have It has been endorsed by an independent always said changes will only be implemented when we have panel of expert clinicians and approved assurances that safe, high quality services can be provided for the local population. These assurances have been met, and I by the Secretary of State for Health. am pleased the decision has been made to press ahead.” Over 450 new doctors, nurses, midwives and clinical specialists are being recruited at the North Mid alone to deliver the planned changes. See inside for more information about the changes confirmed by the decision. Barnet’s Dr Clare Stephens, a local Barnet GP Dr Helen Pelendrides, GP Chair and Governing Body member, said: of Haringey CCG said: “I am pleased to see the expansion of Barnet Hospital with “The agreement to move forward with new services and a strengthened workforce. This will mean that this strategy is the best decision for Barnet Hospital will be among the first in London to meet the the residents of Haringey. As a GP and new London Quality Standards, ensuring more senior doctor Chair of Haringey CCG, I want to ensure availability and better patient care. As a clinician, I am convinced our residents have access to safe, well change needs to happen and it is safe to proceed now. I and my co-ordinated and high quality services. colleagues at Barnet CCG are now looking forward to working Moving ahead with the strategy is a vital with our colleagues in the hospitals to make sure these changes step in attaining our vision. The new improve local NHS services for our patients.” facilities and staff at North Middlesex University Hospital will ensure an outstanding level of care for Haringey Dr Alpesh Patel, GP Chair of Enfield CCG said residents.” “As a GP in Enfield and Chair for the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group, offering high quality care for local people David Riddle, Lay Member is my highest priority. This decision is good for our patients and, led by local clinicians, it is a clear demonstration that we now have for Barnet CCG said: the necessary assurances and the time is right for the strategy to “At Barnet CCG our vision is to provide move forward. the right care, at the right time, in the “The assurances we, as local GPs, wanted before moving ahead right place to all residents. This decision to with these changes have been met and we look forward to begin the implementation of the Barnet, working with our partners to improve care for our patients. Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy in The changes mean local people will get better maternity and November means that we can continue to A&E services, and better access to primary care while Chase Farm move forward and be able to reassure our Hospital will have expanded planned surgery and improved residents that they will receive safer and urgent care services.” higher quality services.” 2 BEH Clinical Strategy newsletter HIGH QUALITY AND SAFER HEALTHCARE IN BARNET, ENFIELD AND HARINGEY Changes to A&E and Urgent Care The new configuration for emergency, urgent and acute care will see emergency services concentrated on Barnet Hospital and North Middlesex University Hospital sites. The transfer of A&E and associated acute inpatient wards from Chase Farm Hospital will happen on 9 December. Concentrating emergency services and specialised Initial modelling proposed a 70:30 NMUH: clinical staff onto a smaller number of sites enables Barnet Hospital split in the shift of emergency the provision of higher quality and safer emergency activity following the decommissioning of the services, meeting the London Quality Standards for Emergency Department at Chase Farm Hospital. adult emergency departments, with appropriate and To accommodate the proposed increase in activity, timely access to senior decision making clinicians and both Trusts have reorganised and expanded their timely access to theatre and diagnostic services. emergency care services and bed provision. Urgent Care Centres are up and running at all three As of 03:00hrs on 9 December 2013, all emergency hospitals. At Barnet and NMUH, Urgent Care Centres admissions will be diverted from Chase Farm Hospital are integrated with the emergency units. The UCC to either Barnet Hospital or NMUH. The department at Chase Farm Hospital forms a stand-alone service will remain open until 09.00 when the Chase Farm from 9 December 2013. Hospital UCC opens to accommodate any non-blue light emergency attendances. The acute inpatient The Chase Farm site will provide urgent care services wards will discharge patients naturally, but at the for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and will be GP-led latest by 19 December. with a ‘see and treat’ model, and a full-time clinical streamer enabling appropriate direction of patients Some medically complex patients may need to be through the primary and secondary care systems. It transferred. The ITU and HDU will continue to provide is expected that the UCC at Chase Farm will manage a service until 20 December, when any remaining 40% of the current A&E attendances. patients will be transferred to Barnet Hospital for ongoing treatment. Outside of the UCC’s opening hours, there will continue to be GP out of hours support on site at There will be a significant public communications and Chase Farm. The GP out of hours provider will work advertising programme to ensure local residents are within the UCC facility, with joint staff working aware of changes and Enfield Council is being asked enabling continuity of service which means that to review the signage on the public highways.