Agenda and minutes

The Panel is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the meeting of the Health Liaison Panel held on 9 July 2019 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The Panel agreed the Minutes of the meeting of the Health Liaison Panel held on 9 July 2019 as a true record and authorised the Chairman to sign them.

Members are asked to declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in respect of any item of business to be considered at the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made in items on the agenda.

An overview of the current position of Epsom General Hospital, in relation to the outcome of the Improving Healthcare Together consultation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the works being under-taken at Epsom

General Hospital, and on the clinical services being provided to our residents.

Daniel Elkeles: Chief Executive, Epsom & St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

The Panel received a presentation from Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive, Epsom & St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. The presentation provided an overview of the current position of Epsom General Hospital, in relation to the outcome of the Improving Healthcare Together consultation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the works being undertaken at Epsom General Hospital, and on the clinical services being provided to residents.

Mr. Elkeles confirmed that £500m had been secured to build a new specialist emergency care hospital, and to refurbish both the Epsom and St Helier hospital sites.

Mr. Elkeles provided the Panel with a timeline summary of the Improving Healthcare Together consultation that resulted in Sutton being the preferred location for the new specialist hospital with Epsom and St Helier retaining 85% of the services.

Merton Council did not agree and had asked the Secretary of State to refer the decision to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel had since agreed with the NHS’s decision and advised that the programme of work continue to proceed.

Mr Elkeles said that the business case was being prepared and would include the following:

·                     The provision of more beds.

·                     A redesign of the buildings as to increase the number of single rooms. Mr. Elkeles confirmed it was currently aimed for 70% of the beds to be in single rooms.

·                     The improvement of travel and access to all sites.

·                     Plans to ensure the hospital is net-zero carbon neutral.

·                     To have in place a new Electronic Patient Record system.

·                     Plans for a specialist renal care facility to operate from one location.

Mr Elkeles gave further details on the hospital’s redesign in respect of the single rooms. He advised that all rooms would be in the line of sight to clinical staff, improve infection control, and offer patients privacy and dignity.

Mr Elkeles spoke about the significant investment at the Epsom and St Helier sites, confirming 6 major construction projects were underway.

The time-line for the programme of work was to be as follows. The final business case to be submitted by 31st December 2020. Final approval was due to be secured in January 2022, with the specialist hospital build in Sutton to commence in February 2022. It was anticipated that the specialist hospital would open in 2025.

Mr Elkeles confirmed that out of the 40 Hospital Trusts due to submit a business case, it is anticipated that Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust would be ranked 2nd and that he was therefore confident in the ambitions set out. 

The Chairman asked a question about the proposed layout of the single rooms and the visibility of patients. Mr Elkeles confirmed that the focus was on an experience of privacy and dignity for patients, with glass panels that would allow nurses to see in, and windows that would allow patients to look out on a courtyard.

A Councillor asked about the electronic patient record system, asking whether there would be liaison with other agencies such primary care or adult social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

An overview of service provision in response to the issue of social isolation and Long COVID, and a look at how we are returning to business as usual.

Emma Cox: Programme Director – Surrey Downs Integrated Care Partnership

The Panel received a presentation from Dr Hilary Floyd and Emma Cox. The presentation provided an overview of service provision in response to the issue of social isolation and Long COVID, and a look at how we are returning to business as usual.

Dr Floyd presented an overview of some of the issues in recovery of COVID patients, stating that when the pandemic first started, there was a significant focus on ITU and acute care. As time moved on, it was recognised that as these patients left hospital they required more support to recover from the effects of long COVID. The Seacole Centre was opened in May 2020 in response to this need.

Some of the patients who had been ventilated for a long time (60-90 days) were not fit to return home or to their Care Home  straight away and so received inpatient rehabilitation care at the Seacole Centre.  Others were able to return to their home with an on-going care package including an exercise schedule.

Many people who contracted COVID did not require hospital admittance. However Dr Floyd advised that it had also been noted that some of these patients reported Long COVID (fatigue, breathlessness, on-going coughs, exercise intolerance) and were often unable to return to work.

The Long COVID programme had been initiated, and Leatherhead Hospital provided rehab programmes for these patients. Services were delivered by Surrey Downs Health and Care, Epsom Hospital and Sutton Health and Care. People seen at the service attended to get their energy levels back up, but also to receive psychological support.

The service has been extended to primary care and GPs could now refer people to a rehabilitation service. Leisure centres and gyms had also been approached to see if this work could continue in the community.

Dr Floyd advised the Panel that primary care was operating and GPs were keen to see their patients. Dr Floyd stressed the importance of seeing patients with chronic disease, to assist in preventing severe COVID. Surgeries were now holding 50% of consultations face-to-face.

The Chairman asked if the newer emerging treatments for COVID patients that were having an effect on reducing Long-COVID symptoms.

Dr Floyd advised it was too early to tell whether the new treatments were having an impact on Long-COVID.

Emma Cox gave the Panel an overview of the Surrey Heartlands Organisational Development Programme, Surrey 500. Emma advised that this was a programme that looked to bring together partners, staff and managers from across systems to look at particular challenge or initiative within their place.

Surrey Downs ICP recruited 70-80 representatives from key partners, including from the voluntary sector and Districts and Boroughs.

Work was undertaken across the Districts and Borough in Surrey Downs, looking at what they felt the challenges were, and to find the common ground in how to tackle the issue of social isolation and loneliness. Work was undertaken with Central Surrey Voluntary Action and the Coalition for the Disabled, to develop a programme that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.