Issue - meetings

Attached: Whittington Hospital Foundation Trust Consultation Document.

The Panel will hear evidence from Officers:

• Susan Sorensen, Director of Strategy & Performance and Deputy Chief Executive
• Siobhan Harrington, Director of Primary Care

Susan Sorensen, Director of Strategy & Performance and Deputy Chief Executive and Siobhan Harrington Director of Primary Care presented an overview of the Whittington’s Hospital application for Foundation Trust status and responded to Panel questions.  A summary of the discussions that subsequently took place is provided below:

Background to application

·        The Whittington was told it could apply for FT status in the 2006/7 business planning cycle having met the required standards.  The Whittington Hospital will therefore be part of the 7^th wave of applications for FT status.  The decision to seek FT status was unanimous among current Whittington Board.

·        The acute sector must continually ‘horizon scan’ to ensure that business plans recognise and respond to anticipated events.  In this context, the Whittington had been required to make some tentative assumptions about the outcome of the London review of NHS services.

·        It was emphasised that this was a genuine application which would be thoroughly assessed by the scrutinising body (Monitor).  It was noted that not all NHS trusts had been successful in their applications for FT status, indeed, some had been deferred for further developmental work before they can resubmit their application.

Local Health Economy

·        The Whittington Hospital indicated that it was aware of the issues that may arise with many local health agencies in transformation at the same time.  It was reported that there is ongoing dialogue with both Haringey PCT and NHS London to ensure that local and regional developments are planned coherently and that services do not fragment.

·        The Whittington indicated that it was committed to maintaining a strong network of local health care provision.  Even though the Whittington will be independent of NHS control once acquiring FT status, it will retain a strong interest in maintaining clinical networks which naturally extend over many acute sector sites (such as the North Middlesex Hospital).  Similarly, under the London NHS review (Darzi), emphasis will be on developing effective care pathways which will maintain links between acute sector sites.

·        It was pointed out that the Whittington was particularly keen to maintain links with the primary care sector, hence the development of the innovative post of Director of Primary Care at the hospital.  This role will help the Whittington to maintain an awareness of community developments and provide a focus for ongoing consultation processes between the two sectors.

·        The Whittington sought to reassure the Panel about private sector provision from the site under FT status.  It was indicated that there would be no benefit from incorporating private sector health care provision (i.e. treatment centre) within the hospital business model, as the FT would have a much tighter business case for all services provided in the future. 

London NHS Reconfiguration

·        Concerns were raised about the future of the Whittington Hospital in the context of the review of NHS services in London.  There was a general indication that Primary Care Trusts (as commissioners of services) would lead the way in shaping the nature and level of acute sector provision across London (subject to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5