Agenda and minutes

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities which provided information and highlighted concerns relating to the review of the Non Arterial Centre Designation on Warrington Hospital and the people it serves.

The report advised that at a Special Meeting of the Health Policy and Performance Board, held on 28^th June 2011, Members had considered a report on the Cheshire and Merseyside Vascular Review of the impact of non-arterial centre designation on Warrington Hospital and the people it serves.

It was reported that Dr. Tom Dent, Project Director, Cheshire and Merseyside Vascular Review, Mr Simon Banks, Operational Director, NHS Halton and St Helens and a representative of the Cheshire and Merseyside Review Board, and Jackie Robinson, NHS Knowsley had attended the meeting.  The Board had been advised that the Cheshire and Merseyside Vascular Review project board had recommended that Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust should not be designated as an arterial centre. The minutes of the meeting were recorded as follows:-

“The Board also noted that Warrington was in the process of recruiting two more vascular surgeons and queried whether they could re-submit an application to the Vascular Review Board. In response it was noted that Warrington could re-submit an application to be an arterial centre, however they would have to prove that they met the criteria as effectively as did Chester and Liverpool.”

The Board was further advised that following the Health PPB meeting there had been an email exchange between Mr Simon Wright from Warrington and Halton Hospital Foundation Trust and Dr Tom Dent (Project Lead) and the Chair of the Health PPB.

It was reported that Mr Tom Dent had stated that “With respect to the resubmission, I have no recollection of saying that this would be possible. I wonder if my remarks were misunderstood.”

Subsequent to the email exchange, it was reported that the Chair of the Health PPB would like to challenge the process followed within the review as the Liverpool and Chester hospitals were given time to refine (not resubmit) their application and Warrington and Halton Hospital Foundation Trust and St Helens and Knowsley Hospital had not.  In addition, consideration of this was also being undertaken jointly with Warrington’s Overview and Scrutiny Board.

Mr Paul Brickwood, Director of Finance & Commissioning Knowsley Health & Wellbeing, attended the meeting to clarify the current situation in respect of the review.  Mr Brickwood reported that there would be a better outcome for patients if the high end arterial work was centralised.  He also reported that the proposal ensured there was sufficient arterial activity across the area and there was not a sufficient number of cases to ensure the best possible outcome if there were more than two centres.  In addition, he added that Warrington had not been recommended as an arterial centre as there would need to be a significant increase in activity in order to meet the clinical standards.  The recommendation, he reported had been made after consultation with clinicians.  A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.