Minutes of the Upper Dales Health Watch Joint Management Committee

held at Surgery on 13th February 2017

1. Those present Dr. Graham Botley West Witton Parish Council Lynn Irwin Practice Manager, Central Dales Practice Dr. Adrian Jones Senior Partner, Central Dales Practice Dr. Mary Brown Central Dales Practice Debbie Allen Hawes & High Abbotside Parish Council Jane Ritchie (Hon. Secretary) Burton-cum-Walden Parish Council Christine Baker Redmire Parish Council Representative Chris Harrison Preston-under-Scar Parish Council Representative Cllr Richard Blows District Council – Swaledale Ann Calvert Castle Bolton Parish Meeting

2. Apologies for absence Brian McGregor & District Parish Council Cllr. Caroline Gardner Richmondshire District Council – Penhill

Introductions were made.

3. The Minutes of the meeting held on 10th October 2016 were taken as read and approved.

4. Matters Arising

 Superfast Broadband at Aysgarth Surgery was better than it had been but was still very slow although no fault could be found. Lynn explained the server was at Hawes and communication to and from Aysgarth had to go via Hawes. A second server was not an option Lynn wanted to consider at the present time. Cllr Blows said he’d discuss this with Richard Marr from NYNET to see if he could suggest anything. Action: Cllr Blows. Dr Jones was concerned the system would be too slow for e- referrals.

5. Update from the Central Dales GP Practice

A centre page spread for the Upper Newsletter had been sent in. The Physio- direct telephone number was wrong and would be corrected in the April issue. Midwives were based in Bedale not Leyburn.

The Nursing Project continued to go well. Nurses were undertaking home visits and supporting the Step up /Step down bed at Sycamore Hall. This room had now been used by 5 patients and was of real benefit. Jane reported that the pay phone was now installed and working. The North Riding Dales Licensed Victuallers Association Bike Ride fund had granted £450 towards the cost of the phone. [NOTE: a bedside light has been requested by one of the patients. I will buy one from the funds. JOR.] There will be an all-day drop in Carers event at Tennants on 15th June 2017. The Central Dales Practice would like all registered Carers to make the Practice aware they were Carers, and for whom. Action: All Reps to disseminate this request.

Dr Jones was thanked for his service to the community and wished a very happy retirement.

6. Update from HRWCCG

The HRWCCG Deputy Chairman had written to all Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) offering to provide an update for their meetings. Jane read out the update she had received. The web address for information on obesity and smoking: https://www.hambletonrichmondshireandwhitbyccg.nhs.uk/campaigns

For Health Engagement Network (HEN) membership details the web address is:

https://www.hambletonrichmondshireandwhitbyccg.nhs.uk/health-engagement-network

or phone 01609 767600 and choose the communication option.

Dr Jones was very concerned that the latest configuration of the NHS into STPs (Sustainability & Transformation Plan)* means that one of either Darlington Memorial Hospital or North Tees Hospital was likely to lose its A&E and consultant-led Maternity department. This was the result of the previous Government’s drive for 24/7 consultant availability in order to stop it being more risky to go into hospital at a weekend.

Considerable discussion followed. It was pointed out that our MP, Rishi Sunak, was working with the Darlington MP to save these services at Darlington. NYCC was working with Darlington Borough Council, and RDC was keeping a close watching brief and had had a meeting with the CCG’s Chief Nurse, Gill Collinson. Jane confirmed that Janet Probert, CEO of HRWCCG, was making the case for Darlington during STP meetings. Cllr. John Blackie was also on the case, and had described the battle as between distance and deprivation. patients had a long way to travel to hospitals, but the Stockton area had great deprivation.

Dr. Jones felt that preserving A&E and Maternity at Darlington was a red line, and thought HRWCCG should be doing more to keep these services. It was agreed a letter should go Rishi Sunak on behalf of the UDHW to ask how we could help his campaign in support of Darlington. (). It was also agreed that John Blackie should be contacted to ask for his thoughts on critical time lines for action. There had been two Better Health Care Programme meetings in Hawes and one in Reeth. A third meeting in Hawes had been cancelled and a new date had not yet been announced. The formal proposals for the future of the hospitals in the STP area are unlikely to be published until June 2017. There was scepticism that ‘NHS consultation’ was anything other than an empty central government technical requirement. It was felt that the public needed to understand what was under threat before ‘consultation’ started. Many of those present hadn’t realised that stroke and trauma patients already went straight to James Cook. North Yorkshire patients, once stabilised, are then repatriated to the Friarage to recuperate. It was agreed a letter should be sent to the Better Care Programme (). It was agreed to ask Rishi to visit the Central Dales Practice, and to invite Dr Brookes from the Reeth Practice and Nigel Watson from the Leyburn PPG to a special meeting to discuss this issue. Ann Calvert suggested a letter was drafted for patients to complete and send to Rishi. Lynn said these could be made available at both surgeries. Action: Jane ().

Jane was also asked to contact Richmondshire Today to see if Joe Willis was planning any sort of public awareness. Action: Jane. Graham said he would design a poster for local use. Action: Graham.

Jane was also asked to raise the question of signage at the Friarage with the HRWCCG as Dr Jones thought the A&E sign should be replaced. Action: Jane.

Jane reported that the HRWCCG still had a real challenge to break even this financial year. If it didn’t, NHS would impose cuts as they saw fit, so deliberately going into debt was not an option the HRWCCG planned to take. Others thought the Government would bail out the NHS and patients’ needs should be met whatever the cost.

Jane’s term of office as the Health Engagement Network (HEN) Representative for Richmondshire was up at the end of March 2017. She would apply for another term.

7. There was no Any other Business

8. The next meeting will be at the Aysgarth Surgery on Wednesday 5th April at 7.30pm. This will be to discuss further the single item of the possible closure of Darlington Memorial Hospital’s A&E and Consultant-led Maternity Services.

*Our STP area is Tees Valley, Durham Dales, Easington, Sedgefield, Hambleton, Richmondshire & Whitby.