Agenda item

Sir Andrew Morris, Chief Executive of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, gave a presentation to the Panel on the latest developments and future plans for Wexham Park Hospital and the Trust more widely.  The key points raised during the presentation are summarised as follows:

·  Members were reminded of the significant and rapid improvement at Wexham Park Hospital since the ‘inadequate’ CQC inspection rating in 2014 and the ‘good’ rating in 2015, with several services considered outstanding.

·  Improved leadership and staff engagement were identified as key drivers behind the improvement, with a major emphasis on embedding common values and behaviours across the Trust.

·  Plans for the new £49m emergency department were progressing well.  The new building had been designed to improve the patient experience and clinical outcomes.  Dialogue was underway with the planning authority and it was currently anticipated that work would start on site in the first quarter of 2018.

·  The Trust Board was due to imminently approve an investment of £10m in maternity services.

·  Performance on the key four hour accident & emergency waiting time target remained challenging; however, quarterly performance was above the 95% target, despite the fact that there had been a 13% increase in admissions and 7% increase in attendances at the hospital.

·  The Trust was achieving the target of 92% for referral to treatment in 18 weeks and all key cancer targets were being met.

·  Good progress had been made on the Sustainability & Transformation Plan (STP) for the Frimley footprint.  The plan included a range of initiatives and reforms to promote self care and prevention; deliver more services in community settings; and maximise the use of resources available across the local health system.  Final proposals would be submitted to the Department of Health in October.

The Panel congratulated Sir Andrew and all the staff at the hospital on the turnaround at Wexham Park since the acquisition by Frimley Health.  A range of specific issues were raised relating to the development work including the new MRI scanner and the proximity of the proposed new entrance to the emergency department to nurses’ residences.  Sir Andrew addressed these points stating that these practical issues had been considered and addressed as part of the design process.  In response to a question, the option of providing a helipad had been considered, but was rejected due to the high cost, and the current arrangements whereby the air ambulance landed in a nearby field would continue.

Members asked about recruitment, retention and staffing issues more generally.  Sir Andrew stated that there were circa 210/220 nursing vacancies, which was down from 270 previously, although recruitment remained a challenge across the country.  He explained the range of steps the Trust had taken to improve the position including taking on more student nurses, supporting staff with training and professional development and overseas recruitment.  The intake of junior doctors had increased in the past year from 90 to 118 and all general surgical consultant positions were filled.  The Panel welcomed the proactive and focused approach that had been taken in terms of workforce strategy.

Members raised the issue of parking at the Wexham Park site, both in terms of the existing plans to provide more spaces and the potential impact of developments such as the new emergency department.  Sir Andrew provided an update on the plans to increase visitor parking on site and informed the Panel that there would be no net loss of parking related to the new emergency department.  Asked whether charges would remain the same as at present, Sir Andrew stated that the Trust was not in a position to provide any guarantees on the future level of car parking charges, particularly in view of the financial pressures facing the Trust.

(Colin Pill left the meeting at this point.)

The Panel discussed the proposal in the STP for the longer term ambition of a new hub based approach for general practice as part of a wider transformation of the service.  Funding for the proposal would be sought as part of the STP process and, if successful, delivery was circa 18-24 months away.  Other issues discussed included the processes being used to engage patients and the wider performance across the Trust beyond Wexham Park.  A Member asked about current issues relating to bus services to Wexham Park and Sir Andrew explained a contract had recently ended and the Trust had decided not to provide the required subsidy in the future as it needed to use its limited resources carefully.  However, he highlighted that the decision needed to be viewed in the context of the wider approach to transport issues designed to improve access to the site.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Panel thanked Sir Andrew for his presentation and congratulated the Trust for the continued improvement of services at Wexham Park Hospital.

Resolved –  That the presentation and update be noted.