Issue - meetings

Report of Director of Operational Delivery

Purpose of report

To consider the most recent developments and decisions in relation to the Horton General Hospital (HGH) and the Council’s response to proposals for service change by the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG).

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

 1.1        To note the decisions taken by Oxfordshire Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

1.2         To endorse the action to submit a Notice of Renewal for a judicial review of the flawed consultation process.

1.3         To support to the fullest extent the referral process to the Secretary of State for Health of the OCCG decision to make permanent the freestanding midwife led unit at the Horton General Hospital.

Resolved

(1)          That the decisions taken by Oxfordshire Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group be noted.

(2)          That the action to submit a Notice of Renewal for a judicial review of the flawed consultation process be endorsed.

(3)          That the referral process to the Secretary of State for Health of the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group decision to make permanent the freestanding midwife led unit at the Horton General Hospital be supported to the fullest extent.

The Director of Operational Delivery submitted a report to consider the most recent developments and decisions in relation to the Horton General Hospital (HGH) and the Council’s response to proposals for service change by the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG).

Resolved

(1)          That the decisions taken by Oxfordshire Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group be noted.

(2)          That the action to submit a Notice of Renewal for a judicial review of the flawed consultation process be endorsed.

(3)          That the referral process to the Secretary of State for Health of the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group decision to make permanent the freestanding midwife led unit at the Horton General Hospital be supported to the fullest extent.

Reasons

The process of the development of service model options for the Horton General Hospital and the formal consultation of these has been long and arduous. The Council has engaged throughout and responded positively. It is hugely disappointing that the Council’s concerns and suggestions have not been reflected in the obstetrics decision.

The Council has demonstrated that the consultation process has been flawed and that this should be subject to a legal challenge. The Council’s partners in this matter also support this view. In this respect, it is recommended that the Council should, with its partners, continue the fight by supporting the Oxfordshire Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee with the referral of this matter to the Secretary of State for Health and to continue with vigour its legal challenge of the consultation process.

Alternative options

Option 1: To accept the decisions made by OCCG. This is not proposed as the Council believes that the consultation was flawed and that there is an alternative and viable obstetrics model for the HGH