Issue - meetings

Report to be circulated separately.

The Committee received an update from James Slater, Director of Performance and Primary Care at Haringey TPCT, on the implementation of key projects within the “World-Class Primary Care” programme. The update covered progress relating to consultation, the transport and access study, community survey, neighbourhood development planning, Hornsey Central, The Laurels, Lordship Lane and IT systems.

The Chair invited a number of interested parties to address the Committee. Local residents expressed concern regarding the lack of consultation on or scrutiny of the fundamental principles behind the 10 year strategy for primary care, including the plans for polyclinics and the “contestability” element of the procurement process for services. Residents also expressed concern regarding the lack of information available on the specific services that would be in place at Hornsey Central by the time of its planned opening. Dave Morris of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts coalition called for an additional meeting of the Committee for an in-depth review of the proposals. 

In response to questions and comments from the public, Mr Slater denied that there had been a lack of consultation and reported that the TCPT was making great efforts to meet the expectations of service users; lessons learned from the Laurels consultation included the need to consult and involve clinicians at an earlier stage, and the value of using external organisations to facilitate consultation. Responding to concerns raised regarding the recruitment of volunteers by an external agency to look at mobility and access issues, Mr Slater reported that this was an example of the TPCT commissioning work to test the proposals and that specific points raised regarding the process would be responded to outside the meeting. It was reported that “contestability” within the procurement process was a legal requirement under procurement law.

It was reported that a special meeting would be convened when the Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs) were published in April 2009, and that there were four local consultation processes proposed to consider the four Plans in detail. The Neighbourhood Development Plans would contain detailed information on the transport and access survey, and all the data from the survey would be made available to anyone interested on request. Mr Slater apologised that there had been no response to an email requesting information on the services and providers already agreed for Hornsey Central, and reported that the NDP would help to inform the services appropriate at the site in future, and shape the consultation process.

In response to a question from the public, it was confirmed that the proposals would be Compact compatible, as signed up to by the TPCT. In respect of individual experiences relating to primary care services in the borough, Mr Slater would discuss resident’s specific feedback with them outside the meeting.

The Committee requested updates on the issue of a health centre site for the Wood Green area, and also the cessation of GP services in Stuart Crescent. Mr Slater responded that discussions were taking place regarding a possible site in the Wood Green area,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22