Issue - meetings

Silas Nicholls, Chief Executive, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, to attend.

Silas Nicholls, Chief Executive, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, was in attendance from the Trust to report on recent developments at the Trust and to give a presentation to the Committee.

Mr. Nicholls gave a presentation on the Acute Sustainability Programme that outlined the following:-

·         The Case for Change;

·         The Clinical Senate Report;

·         Acute Sustainability – Workshop Structure;

·         Emerging Clinical Scenarios; and

·         Delivering Transformation for Sefton and Cheshire and Merseyside.

Mr. Nicholls reported on his background and experience within the NHS, indicating that he had been approached by NHS Improvement to work at the Trust. He hoped to bring stability to the organisation and to improve clinical performance, as some concerns were held particularly around A&E and older people’s care.

Mr. Nichols made reference to the recent open letter he had shared with key stakeholders and to the most recent Care Quality Commission rating for the Trust of “requires improvement”. Some questions regarding viability surrounded certain services provided by the Trust such as maternity, which fell short of the number of births per year for a clinically viable service. The Trust had also faced challenges to maintain good outcomes regarding stroke services as it was particularly reliant on a single clinician, which could leave the Trust in a vulnerable position if that clinician left the Trust. The demographics of the area also brought challenges to the Trust with numbers of over 65s predicted to represent one in three in a few years’ time. Numbers aged 85 and above were also rising, together with the challenges this presented as this age group tended to have multiple long-term conditions.

The financial situation of the Trust was causing concern as the Trust was facing a deficit of some £28m which had caused a gradual degradation of services with services not being invested in. Vacant posts in Orthopaedics had not been recruited to and this was now considered to be a false economy, the vacant posts now having gone out to recruitment.

Reference was made to the positive approach that Mr. Nicholls was taking, particularly regarding staff morale and the need to emphasise in future that staff were an important asset and that the Trust was a good place to work, with a good quality of life in the area.

The Southport site required re-development although a new development would have its advantages as it could provide a blue-print for future district general hospitals in England. An initial meeting had been held with NHS England and NHS Improvement and a positive reaction had been received. The next meeting would take place on 14 September 2018 and a further meeting would take place with NHS England on 25 October 2018. If agreement was reached regarding investment, consultation with the public could commence in late May/early June 2019, with a possible commencement of April 2020 for any changes. The Clinical Commissioning Groups would lead on the consultation, if changes proceeded. This Committee would need to be consulted if substantial variations to services took place.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16