Tom Abell, Managing Chief Transformation Officer, presented the report that provided members with an update on the progress of the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP). That no decision had been made to go to consultation on the 29 November 2017 due to a leakage of the consultation papers. The proposal included to improve specialised hospital services by bringing them together into one place with three 24/7 accident and emergency departments. That no services would be released from Orsett Hospital until the same services were available at one of these locations. Those proposals may change once comments from the consultation have been received, these will be analysed following the 14 week consultation period.

Councillor Snell thanked Tom Abell for the report and how encouraging this report had been.

Councillor Gerrish questioned what assessments had been undertaken in the transferring of some of the outpatients from Orsett Hospital. Tom Abell stated that those services were also used by residents from Brentwood and Basildon therefore they would be moved separately to those areas.

Councillor Gerrish requested that the consultation looked at each service individually and how this would be delivered and where each service would be located. Tom Abell stated that the consultation was open to discussion and some flexibility.

Councillor Gerrish questioned where each service would be located. Tom Abell stated that accident and emergency would be Basildon Hospital; Orthopaedics should be at Broomfield and Cancer services at Southend Hospital.

Councillor Gerrish asked what consideration had been taken into account for those Thurrock residents looking to go to different hospitals for future service provisions. Tom Abell stated that shuttle services would be available to those patients and also to their relatives to ensure visiting could continue.

Councillor Snell stated that the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership would be the main item at the 18 January 2018 committee.

Councillor V Holloway questioned whether practical processes, such as transport, had been taken into account. Tom Abell stated that to ensure no further burden was put on the East of England Ambulance Service a treat and transfer service would be ran which would be manned by staff. To ensure that shuttle services were being offered at the right place and at the right times with routes being looked at.

Councillor V Holloway asked how quickly the specialist hospitals would be available. Tom Abell stated that when more was known on the timescale for Orsett Hospital to remain open then plans could be put in place and to get the facilities on board.

Councillor V Holloway stated that it had stood out that Orsett Hospital had formed part of this report and not as a separate report. Tom Abell stated that a separate report would be prepared for Orsett Hospital where the consultation would look at all the proposals with a set of questions being asked of residents and printed copies of the consultation would be available for local communities to see.

Councillor V Holloway requested that Members and residents be kept up to date and that communication should be in understandable language so that members of the public could understand it and a braille version should also be supplied.

Councillor Snell questioned the financial implication comment on “unintended financial consequences” and asked that the services that formed part of the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership were provided with the same or more with less money and to ensure that extra costs did not appear. Tom Abell stated that benefits were already evident in local communities and to learn from new processes by undertaking step by step tests. That it had been evidence based from specialist hospitals that the less time spent in hospital the quicker the recovery would be.

RESOLVED

That the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee were asked to note the update.