Agenda item

This paper is presented to the Health and Wellbeing Select Committee for information. It provides an overview of future planning for the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust across the next five years, including details of new national guidance and local developments that influence the approach.

Clare O’Farrell, Associate Director for Integration introduced this item and gave a presentation to the Select Committee. A copy of the presentation is available online as an appendix to these minutes and on the Select Committee’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.

NHS Five Year Forward View – the national mandate

•  Health and wellbeing

•  Care and quality

•  Funding and efficiency

Planning for 2016/17 – 2020/21

•  Individual organisational strategies > > > Community Sustainability and Transformation Plan

•  System wide engagement and alignment 

Our vision and strategic ambitions

•  Provider of Choice

•  System Leader

•  Provider without walls

•  To care, To innovate, To inspire

An estate fit for the future

•  Creating a healing environment for our patients.

•  Making it easier for staff to do their job

•  Improving productivity and efficiency

•  Flexible designs that are ‘future-proofed’ and recognise changes in service

•  Support for service integration eg RNHRD

Completed major projects

•  NICU 2011

•  Path Lab 2013

•  Apley House (IM&T) 2014

Work in progress

•  Pharmacy

•  300 space car park opens Spring 2016, consent granted to create a further 50 spaces over time

Therapies / RNHRD and the new Cancer Centre

•  New therapies / RNHRD Centre opens spring 2018

•  Cancer Centre opens Summer 2020

Councillor Paul May said that he felt there was a lack of detail within the report and that this concerned him. He said that he also had doubts as to the success of the Cerner Millennium system.

The Chair said that she wanted the report to define the role of the RUH and asked if it saw itself as either a General or Specialist Hospital. She also asked if it saw itself in competition with Bristol.

Clare O’Farrell replied that the Cerner Millennium Project had a successful go live date and that it had enabled web access for some systems and provided a level of interoperability. She added that the RUH was not looking to compete with Bristol and wanted to be the best District General Hospital that it could be.

Dr Ruth Grabham added that the Connecting Care software allows GP’s and Hospitals to see patient records. She said that further discussions were due to take place within the Transformation Group as the RUH have declined to take part.

The Director for Adult Care and Health Commissioning confirmed that the Council had agreed to take part in Connecting Care.  The Committee requested an update from the RUH regarding their decision not to participate. The Committee confirmed that they would wish the RUH to reconsider their decision not to participate.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that she felt that the majority of residents want a local service that is provided locally. She added that it remains difficult for some residents to travel to Bristol.

Clare O’Farrell said that the RUH looks to use specialist services available at Bristol, Oxford and London when it is necessary for its patients. She added that they have web enabled access to the records held within Wiltshire via the TPP System.

Councillor Bryan Organ commented that for future working a fully integrated computer system is key.

Councillor Tim Ball said that he wanted computer systems to be able to talk to each other and said that Cloud based systems can be very secure. He added that he was pleased to hear that the RUH was not looking to compete with Bristol and asked that they focus on services that they can provide to elderly and young patients.

Clare O’Farrell replied that she would report back to colleagues that the Select Committee would like to hear more about the future of their Clinical Services.

Councillor Lin Patterson asked if some of the £3.1m investment in nursing posts over the last two years had been spent on agency staff.

Clare O’Farrell replied that as they look to recruit in totality that a number of post had been filled with agency staff. She said that over the past year there had been a reduction in the amount spent on agency staff and that in general they have a good recruitment and retention of staff.

Councillor Paul May assured the representatives present that the Select Committee wants to support the work of the RUH.

The Select Committee RESOLVED to note the report and asked for an update from the RUH regarding an integrated IT system.