Agenda item

Briefing Note, Report and Presentation of the Director of Public Health

The following representatives have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item:

Dr Jamie Macpherson, Secretary of the Local Medical Council

Dr Steve Allen, Accountable Officer, Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group

Dr Francis Campbell, Medical Director and Sue Price, Director of Commissioning, Arden, Hereford and Worcestershire Area Team

The Scrutiny Board received a presentation from the Director of Public Health concerning her Annual Report ‘Primary Care at the Heart of our Health’. The Board also considered a report of the Director which detailed the recommendations contained in her Annual Report. Both the summary and full reports were set out at appendices. The Annual Report focused on the primary care system and its role in addressing health inequalities, with a particular emphasis on general practice.

The report had been considered by the Health and Well-being Board at their meeting on 10^th November, 2014 who supported the recommendations. The report was also to be considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 2nd December, 2014. Dr Steve Allen, Accountable Officer and Dr Peter O’Brien, Clinical Locality Lead, Coventry and Rugby CCG, Dr Jamie Macpherson, Coventry Local Medical Committee, and Dr Francis Campbell, Medical Director and Sue Price, Director of Commissioning, Arden, Hereford and Worcestershire Area Team attended the meeting for the consideration of this item. The partner representatives addressed the Board about their involvement with the production of the Annual report.

The presentation highlighted the recent improvements for keeping people healthy and improving care and quality; detailed the persisting challenges which included the management of long term conditions, the structure of GP practices and patient experience; and detailed future new models of care. 

The report put forward the following recommendations:

Keeping People Healthy

1) Public Health should work with GPs and communications to continue to promote healthy lifestyles to ensure people stay healthier for longer

2) Public Health and GPs should work together to enable practices to better understand the population in their local areas 

Making the Right Choice

3) Patients should have a more active role in managing their health

4) Patients should choose the most appropriate service for their needs

5) Patients should be involved in co-designing services

Collaborative and innovative primary care

6) General practice should be open and accessible

7) Practices should collaborate and share learning

A health and social care system that supports primary care

8) A workshop should be organised to consider the future configuration of general practice in the city to ensure that services are fit for purpose in the future

9) Mechanisms to celebrate and share success should be continued

10) Communication materials should be developed to engage with and inform the public

11) Commissioners should continue to provide feedback and support to practices that are the most challenged.

The Scrutiny Board questioned the officer and representatives on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Concerns about the availability of GP appointments

·  The increasing work pressures faced by GPs

·  How improvements in partnership working could better support patients with mental health issues

·  The importance of better information sharing across partner organisations

·  How the involvement of pharmacists, opticians, practice nurses could help to improve service delivery

·  What were the aims and objectives of the report and how would outcomes be measured to ensure improvements in general practice and addressing health inequalities

·  How to ensure that patients are provided with the appropriate information to allow them to take responsibility for managing their health

·  The position and benefits of the Expert Patient Panel

·  How would the partner organisations be challenged to ensure that recommendations were being implemented

·  Details about the workshop to be held in the new year

·  Information about the four city GP practices classified in risk bands 1 and 2. 

RESOLVED that:

(1) The recommendations from the meeting of Health and Well-being Board held on 10th November, 2014 be noted.

(2) The recommendations in the report be supported and a report on progress with their implementation be submitted to a future meeting of the Board.

(3) Cabinet, at their meeting on 2^nd December, 2014 be informed of the Board’s considerations.