Roger Harris, Corporate Director of Adults, Housing and Health, briefed Members on the current position of the referral made to the Secretary of State on the 15 January 2019. This referral was made alongside a referral made by Southend on Sea Council on Stroke Services and the Consultation Process. That a letter had now been received from the Department of Health and Social Care to inform Members that an initial review would be undertaken by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel. Roger Harris stated his disappointment as it had taken six months to get to this stage and reassured Members that planning of the Integrated Medical Centres would continue but there would delays as no formal agreements, tenders or planning permissions could be adhered to.

Mandy Ansell, Accountable Officer, Clinical Commissioning Group, explained to Members that the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership was not an organisation in its own right but a collection of partners with the long term plan setting out that Sustainability and Transformation Partnership were expected to move into Integrated Care Systems by 2021. That experienced had shown that one Integrated Care System would be equivalent to one Clinical Commissioning Group. With the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership having an objective to move to one Accountable Officer and one Management Team across the five Clinical Commissioning Groups.

A new chair for the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership was currently being recruited following the existing chair, Anita Donley, stepping down in September 2019. Candidates would be met in July when the interview process would begin with the new chair starting in September 2019.

Mandy Ansell explained how Thurrock’s Clinical Commissioning Group managed their control totals and budgets and was pleased to announce that they were successfully breaking even. Although a financial challenge had arisen with the proposed reduction in the control total for the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership to assist the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. This would result in a reduction of £480K to the Thurrock’s Clinical Commissioning Group’s budget for 2019/20 and explained how this would impact on and delay projects that had already been agreed for the local authority.

It had already been agreed that a joint letter would be sent to the Regional Director of NHS England from Roger Harris and Kim James expressing concerns.

Kim James stated her frustrations that those in need of those services in particular mental health services would not now be met and that this was an absolute disgrace. A lot of hard work had been undertaken to secure these services and this decision would now have severe impact to the residents of Thurrock.

Members agreed that the £480K was for the residents of Thurrock and not for the residents of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

The Chair proposed and Members agreed that:

·         Invite NHS England to a Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee to speak about the decision made and how they expect Thurrock to deliver their services.

·         A joint letter to be sent out from Roger Harris and Kim James.

·         A letter would be sent out from the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·         Proposed that a letter also be sent out by Councillor Halden the Portfolio Holder for Education and Health.