Issue - meetings

The Board received a report which provided an update on the review of the two Urgent Care Centres (UCC’s) and subsequent actions taken by NHS Halton CCG to transform these centres into Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs), as part of the One Halton transformation of health provision in Halton.  The meeting was attended by Dr Andrew Davies and Leigh Thompson from NHS Halton CCG, who presented the item.

It was reported that Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) was one of the national service improvement priorities.  In addition it was also one element of the UEC section of the NHS Five Year Forward View (FYFV) which includes the roll out of standardised new ‘Urgent Treatment Centre specification.’  The two UCCs in Halton were commissioned in 2015 and both providers had been delivering services based on an agreed service delivery model.  It was agreed by the CCG to re-specify the services required to meet the national requirements of the proposed UTC Guidance and undertake a number of actions.  These actions were explained in paragraph 3.1.1 of the report.

The report presented the case for change from the current UCC model and the proposed UTC specification.  It also provided details of the interim arrangements in place from 1 October 2018 to 1 March 2019 in respect to the GP element of the Service.

Members discussed the proposals and agreed, in principle, to the changes proposed subject to the final specification being shared with the Board when it was available.  It was confirmed by the NHS Halton CCG Officers that in the interim both current UCC’s would have a GP service available between the hours of 12 noon and 6pm, 7 days a week.

It was agreed that another paper would come to the Board in February with an update.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    notes the initial findings of the review;

2)    notes the progress and timeline associated with the procurement process towards UTCs; and

3)    notes and agrees the proposal in principle, to improve the consistency of GP cover at both sites, rationalising the medical cover to a specified number of hours during the times of peak demand.