Issue - meetings

This paper has been prepared to ensure that the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Select Committee are kept up-to-date with proposals to relocate Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) clinical services from their current location at the Mineral Water Hospital site to ensure sustainable high quality service delivery.

Clare O’Farrell, Associate Director for Integration introduced this item to the Select Committee. She stated that during the Patient and Public Engagement activities 350 past and current paediatric CFS/ME patients and 120 past and current paediatric rheumatology patients were sent a letter outlining the proposals, the rationale for change and inviting them to the service specific engagement events held in December 2015. She said that a survey was also attached with the option to complete a hard copy or online.

She said that overall the respondent’s had replied positively on the service they are currently receiving, and there have been positive comments in relation to the proposed new location and the dedicated children’s unit on the RUH site.

She said that subject to the Select Committee’s endorsement of the proposal to relocate these two paediatric services to the RUH, the Specialist Paediatric CFS/ME service will relocate from its current location on the Mineral Water Hospital site to the dedicated children’s unit at the RUH at the end of the 2015/16 financial year. The Paediatric Rheumatology service may relocate slightly later than this.

She explained that the next phase of Public and Patient Engagement activities relate to proposals to relocate the RUH Sexual Health services and the RNHRD Adult Fatigue Management services. PPE activities will commence in February 2016.

Councillor Lin Patterson asked what was meant by the term ‘part year’ in the table on page 29 of the agenda.

Emma Mooney, Head of Marketing & Communications replied this was around six months.

Clare O’Farrell added that they were not expecting to see a significant increase in these figures. She added that consultation relating to each service would take place and that the majority of services would not move until the new building has been completed.

Emma Mooney said that focus groups would be involved in the design of the new buildings.

The Select Committee RESOLVED to;

(i) Note the outcome of the impact assessments and patient and public engagement activities which confirmed that the effects of this change are considered minimal and that there are a number of positive aspects to the change.

(ii) Endorse the proposal to relocate the Paediatric Specialist CFS/ME and Paediatric Rheumatology Services from the Mineral Water Hospital to the dedicated children’s unit on the RUH site.