Issue - meetings

Report of Strategic Director Environment and Community

Summary

To consider the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) Proposals For A New GP Led Health Centre in Banbury

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended to:

(1)       To receive a presentation on the proposal from the Oxfordshire PCT.

(2)       To determine the Council’s position regarding the new  GP led Health Centre in Banbury.

Agreed, with the amendments:

Recommendation 2:  The Executive welcomes the Primary Care Trust’s reassurance that the new GP led health centre in Banbury will not impact on the services at the Horton Hospital and is likely to have only a limited impact on the existing GP surgeries in Banbury.

The Strategic Director Environment and Community submitted a report which set out the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) proposals for a new GP led health centre in Banbury.  The Executive also received a presentation from representatives of the Oxfordshire PCT and in response to questioning the following points were made:

The proposal related only to GP led primary care services and as such would not impact on diagnostic and other services provided by the Horton Hospital.  Where possible the PCT would seek to integrate this proposal with the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel but ultimately they were two independent work streams.    

The PCT would let the contract for five years and it would be subject to regular monitoring with regard to value-for-money, patient satisfaction and statistical analysis of service delivery and patient numbers.  It was recognised that the recruitment and supply of medical staff would be a challenge to those tendering for the contract but the presence of a GP for 12 hours per day, 365 days per year was a key requirement of the contract.

The contract would contain a “nil detriment” clause to ensure that the GP led health centre would not have a minimal impact on other GP practices in Banbury but that the ultimate measure of this will be the public’s satisfaction with the overall health services they receive. 

The catchment area for registered patients would be a five mile radius from Banbury Cross.  It was recognised that a proportion of “walk-in” patients were likely to be commuters from outside the district but this was an accepted part of the national model. The point was also made that Cherwell residents would be able to “walk-in” to clinics elsewhere in the country.   

The core range of services that would be available to “walk-in” patients would be tightly regulated and subject to strict protocols on prescriptions. 

Resolved

(1)   That the Oxfordshire PCT’sproposals for a new GP led health centre in Banbury be noted and the PCT be thanked for their presentation;

(2)   That the Council welcomes the Oxfordshire PCT’s reassurance that the new GP led health centre in Banbury will not impact on the services at the HortonHospital and the limited impact on the existing GP surgeries in Banbury will be minimised.

Reasons[M1]  – further investment in the healthcare services in Banbury is welcomed as this extends patient choice and access to primary healthcare services.