Agenda item

Briefing Note and Presentation of the Director of Primary Care and Chief Executive of the Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note and presentation of Simon Brake, Director of Primary Care and Chief Executive of the Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance which provided an update on the progress and achievements of the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund and commissioned services across the city and also the organisational development of the Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance. Dr Ken Holton, Director of the Alliance attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.  

The briefing note indicated that the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund (now renamed the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund) was a £4.5m grant made to Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance in April, 2015 to implement the following three new models of service, along with supporting technology, federation development and overall programme evaluation:

·  GP in the Emergency Department

·  Extended Hours GP services

·  Acute/Community Frailty Pathway

The first of the clinical schemes commenced in May, 2015 with the GP in Emergency Department; the frailty pathway got underway in July, 2015; and the Extended Hours scheme started in October, 2015. The shared records system was currently being implemented and would be complete by the end of the 2015/2016 financial year.

The GP Alliance’s organisational structures and governance arrangements were progressing, the CQC registration being complete, and the appropriate and necessary directors and officers having been appointed. Discussions with the Department of Health and NHS England regarding NHS Body status was progressing at a senior level, as well as several new services being commissioned, including Admiral Nurses, CPEN and care home flu jabs.

The presentation provided background to the GP Alliance and detailed the challenges and progress of each of the three clinical schemes along with future requirements. The presentation concluded with a summary of the achievements and development points for the Alliance.

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

·  Clarification about the future funding implications for the three schemes and how confident was the Alliance about securing future finance

·  Implications for the GP practices including their patients who had not joined the GP Alliance

·  Further information about why the frailty pathway had just been introduced on the Gerontology Ward when there were frail patients elsewhere in the hospital and the medical support that was available to patients

·  How the frailty pathway would be supported by GPs in local practice

·  Further details about the black pear computer system which allows the sharing of patient records between practices and partners and the ‘live’ frailty care plan

·  What support did the Alliance provide to help GP practices to improve standards    

·  The partnership work between the Alliance and CQC

·  The measures being introduced to attract GPs to work in Coventry

·  Information on the performance and outcomes of the three clinical schemes including plans for evaluation

·  Further details about future plans to extend GP opening hours

·  Further details about the GP in the Emergency Department including patient responsibility.  

RESOLVED that:

(1) The briefing note, presentation and matters raised at the meeting be noted.

(2) An update report including evaluation information on the three clinical schemes be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in six months.

(3) NHS England and service providers be invited to the same meeting to present an item on performance standards of GP practices in the city.