Agenda item

For the Committee to consider the review report from the GP Services Task and Finish Group.

On behalf of Councillor Falp, Chair of the Task and Finish Group (TFG), Paul Spencer, Senior Democratic Services Officer introduced this item.

The County Council had approved a motion that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) review and make recommendations about the provision of health centres within Warwickshire. To undertake this review, the OSC appointed a member TFG. An outline was given of the process undertaken by the TFG. It considered written evidence and held discussions with expert contributors from the NHS. Contributions were also provided by Healthwatch Warwickshire and a co-opted representative from a district council. The review included a comprehensive presentation from the then Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group and a GP doctor who also represented the Local Medical Committee. The review report had been submitted. The TFG made a series of recommendations for the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System (ICS) and for those within the remit of individual agencies. The recommendations and the rationale for each of those recommendations were set out in the covering report and the appended review report, which also provided the supporting information.

Members reviewed the report and appendix, raising the following points:

• Chris Bain said this was a comprehensive report. There were some things which could not be influenced such as the shortage of GPs. There was more interest in looking at those things which the system could begin to tackle, such as the effectiveness of primary care networks (PCNs) in supporting practices, ensuring the patient voice was heard and lived experiences captured in PCNs. There was mixed experience of this and how well patient participation groups were working. This was another area where patient expectations clashed with capacity creating a tension. Demands on general practice were increasing. One contributor was people delaying going to their GP and their condition worsening as a result. He was concerned about the emergence of a primary care provider collaborative as part of the ICS. Healthwatch had not been involved in the development of that collaborative and he wondered where the patient voice and lived experience was being reflected in that collaborative.
• Councillor Shenton sought more information about the NHS endeavours to recruit another 556 full time equivalent roles into primary care. He asked if these staff were an increase, or to replace others and what the net effect was. Additionally, more information was sought about what the equivalent roles would be. This would be researched with NHS colleagues. There were also plans to revisit primary care as part of the committee’s future work programme. 
• On GP recruitment, Chris Bain added that doctors were less willing to become practice partners than being a part time GP. This created a further problem of securing senior GPs, to manage practices and replacing those who were nearing retirement age.
• Councillor Bell took this point speaking of the opportunity for employed GPs rather than the current private businesses. Personally, she would like to see the acute trusts become involved in establishing such practices with employed GP doctors. This gave an increased opportunity to integrate with acute services. The Chair shared this view speaking of the opportunities and benefits of linked primary care rather than it being through the current private businesses. 
• Councillor Cooke said this was a good report, congratulating the TFG for the straightforward recommendations. He commended the report and moved its recommendations.

Resolved

That the Committee:

1. Comments on the report of the GP Services Task and Finish Group, as set out above and approves the report and its recommendations.

Refers the TFG report to the Cabinet and the Warwickshire Health and Wellbeing Board to consider the recommendations made for actions by the County Council and the wider Coventry and Warwickshire health system.