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Posted on

24 May 2017

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Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local), Rural communications, Rural communities, Transport (local)

“The state of rural services” report

“Changes to rural transport provision affect access to a range of service facilities and outlets, where these are not available locally and where travel is necessary. Recent reductions to bus services are therefore of direct relevance to various topics covered by this report.

Similarly, rural access to a range of services is altering due to the provision of and take-up of online services. This has considerable scope to address long standing concerns about rural access to services, if geographic distance is no longer such a barrier. However, this is not straightforward. Not all groups are online, some rural areas await decent (broadband) connectivity and one consequence may be less used physical outlets e.g. bank branches.

The demography of rural areas and, in particular, the growing number of older people has implications for the future of services covered in this report. On the one hand it places considerable extra pressures on public services such as GP surgeries and adult social care, especially if funding for them is tight, as it has been for some years and seems likely to continue being. On the other hand older age groups are more likely to be users of locally based commercial services in rural areas, such as convenience stores, thus helping them to survive. Retired people who remain in good health are also likely to make up a good proportion of the volunteers engaged with providing community-run services. …”

https://ruralengland.org/the-state-of-rural-services-2016-report/

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

22 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, General Election, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Strong …ly weak and stable..y wobbly on home care charges!

Summary: May is panicking … she will say ANYTHING … as long as it REALLY means NOTHING!

What Owl thinks: the bigger your house, the more money you will be able to leave to your relatives. Yeah, that sounds more like a Tory policy!

“Theresa May has refused to say how high the Conservatives’ new cap on social care costs would be, after announcing an unprecedented U-turn on her manifesto plan to remove the limit.

The Prime Minister became increasingly flustered as she faced a barrage of questions from journalists, having seemingly watered down a key element of the Tory manifesto.

Asked by Channel 4 News’ Michael Crick where she would set the limit, Ms May said: “We have not changed the principles of the policy we set out in our manifesto. Those policies remain exactly the same.”

May waters down ‘dementia tax’ in U-turn after poll lead slashed
The Conservative manifesto’s section on social care makes no mention of a cap. Previously the plan had been to introduce an upper limit of £72,000 on the lifetime cost of a person’s care by 2020.

It said a green paper would be drafted to “address system-wide issues to improve the quality of care”.

But Ms May told journalists at the launch of the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto: “The plans that we set out were very clear in the manifesto, you can look in the manifesto … We said we would issue a green paper and of course within that green paper we’ll be consulting on the details of the proposals.

“Nobody is going to have to pay for their care, nobody is going to have to pay for their care … while they are alive. Nobody is going to have to lose their family home.

“We have not changed the principles we set out in the manifesto.”

She added: “We will have an upper limit, absolute limit, on the amount people will pay for care.”

It came after a pair of polls showed Labour narrowing the gap on the Conservatives to just nine points, following the launch of Ms May’s manifesto.

The Tories’ lead has halved compared to a week ago, according to Survation, with Theresa May’s party on 43 and Labour on 34.

The poll of 1,034 adults was taken over 19 and 20 May and showed people were more likely to say Labour had the best policies for older people and the NHS.

A YouGov poll had Labour on 35 per cent, their highest of the campaign so far, with the Tories on 44 per cent.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/election-2017-theresa-may-social-care-cap-limit-costs-conservative-manifesto-u-turn-a7749171.html

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

21 May 2017

Posted under

Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Turning GP practice private increased costs by 64%

“The procurement of an APMS contract to a private provider – after the closure of a GMS practice – meant costs to the NHS increased by 64%, shows figures obtained by LMC leaders.

Partners at the St Lawrence Medical Practice in Braintree, Essex, were forced to hand their GMS contract back after they were unable to recruit more partners, and NHS England replaced it with an APMS contract run by Virgin Care.

An FOI to NHS England, revealed by Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer from Hertfordshire LMC at the LMCs Conference in Edinburgh, showed that the first year of the Virgin Care practice contract cost 64% moreq than the final 12 months of St Lawrence’s GMS contract.

The FOI, seen by Pulse, also revealed that the Sutherland Lodge practice in Essex was replaced by a Virgin Care APMS practice that increased costs by 16%. Sutherland Lodge had earlier been awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating by the CQC but was forced to close due to the PMS reviews.

The figures were announced as part of a debate on NHS England’s decision to put all new GP practices contracts out to tender under APMS – first revealed by Pulse.

Local leaders voted in favour of the motion, which called on the GPC to take legal advice to ‘challenge the notion that only APMS contracts may be awarded when procuring general medical services’.

Dr Bramall-Stainer told delegates: ‘There was the case of the “Outstanding” Essex practice that was forced into handing back their contract last year due to the enforced PMS contract review.

‘This undermines the whole ethos of long-time continuity of care.’

The FOI response from NHS England said: ‘The budget for the current APMS contract (which commenced on 1 June 2016) will exceed the actual expenditure within the last twelve months of the former GMS partnership (1 June 2014 to 31 May 2015).

‘Following the procurements of the current APMS contracts for the St Lawrence and Sutherland Lodge practices we can confirm that the procurements resulted in the following approximate percentage increases in contract value rates compared to the GMS and PMS arrangements previously in place; St Lawrence: 64%; Sutherland Lodge: 16%.’

Pulse revealed earlier this year that more practices closed in 2016 than ever before.

Virgin Care was approached for comment, but did not respond in time for publication.”

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/your-practice/practice-topics/practice-income/shifting-gp-contract-to-private-provider-increased-costs-by-64/20034470

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

18 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Comments

2 Comments

The REAL cost of the new Tory social care funding?

This post has come from the Save our Hospital Services Devon website – it’s not been verified but, if true, is VERY scary:

“Tim Woodcock Quote from a city worker :

“The Conservatives will attempt to soften the blow by promising that pensioners will not have to sell their homes to pay for their care costs while they or a surviving partner are alive. Instead, ‘products will be available’ allowing the elderly to pay by extracting equity from their homes, which will be recovered at a later date when they die or sell their residence.

I have just seen this post online:

‘People need to read the small print associated with this because its a lot nastier than it looks.

I work in the City. The insurance industry was approached by the Government several months ago with the aim of creating a new market for a new product.
This arrangement is a culmination of those discussions. You wont have to sell your house PROVIDED that you purchase an insurance product to cover your social care. The “premiums” would be recovered from the equity after the house has been sold and the Insurance company will have a lien on the house and can force a sale if it wants to. So your offspring cant keep it on the market for long in order to get the best price.

The real kicker in this is that in order to encourage the industry to market these products the government guaranteed that there would be no cap on the premiums.

This was in some ways “attonement” for Osborne’s destruction of the highly lucrative annuties market. This means that the premiums could be up to (and including) the entire remaining equity in the property after the government has taken its cut. Compamies will be falling over themselves to get their snouts in this trough.

In short your offspring and relatives could get absolutely nothing from your estate.

If you buy one of these products you need to read the small print very very carefully indeed because there will be some real dogs on the market.
I suspect that this is another financial scandal waiting to happen, but by the time it does May will be long gone.”

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

13 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), Martin Shaw (Seaton), NHS (local), Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

Seaton: “Hospital Beds Fight Shifts Back to County Council”

“Press statement by County Councillor Martin Shaw (Seaton & Colyton)

The battle to keep in-patient beds in Seaton Hospital should now return to Devon County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, according to Seaton and Colyton’s new County Councillor, Martin Shaw.

The Council has the power to refer the decision of the NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to the Secretary of State for Health. In March, the Scrutiny Committee asked the CCG to answer 14 questions before the Council exercised this power. The CCG responded, but the answers will remain confidential until the June meeting of the new committee, whose members will be nominated at the Council’s Annual Meeting on May 25th.

Councillor Shaw says: ‘I have now seen the CCG’s answers but I am not allowed to reveal them publicly, which I think is deplorable. However I can state that, particularly in relation to the decision about Seaton, the CCG’s case remains flimsy and threadbare. I shall be raising this matter as soon as the new committee meets and I urge other interested parties in the Axe Valley to join me in making representations. I have had a preliminary talk with Axminster’s new County Councillor, Ian Hall, and I hope we can make a cross-party case for the whole local community on this issue. I am also talking to Honiton campaigners.’

Councillor Shaw made his announcement after an urgent appeal for £20,000 for the first stage of a judicial review of the decision, the preparation of a ‘letter of complaint’, failed to raise enough money to proceed. He said:

‘I was moved by the response in which about 70 donations have been made. Sadly, however, the total raised, while over £5,000, was still not sufficient to pay the solicitors to prepare the letter, for which would have charged £16,800. It might have been possible to raise the balance after the letter was sent, but within three weeks the action itself, requiring a fighting fund of many tens of thousands, would also have had to be launched. In the light of this response, there seemed no prospect of raising the further money in the time available. I therefore decided not to proceed with the action. I felt it was unfair to the donors to spend their money on something which could not be followed through. I have incurred some legal costs but most of the money will be returned, and I will be writing to donors.’

‘The appeal has had a positive effect, however, in that new evidence came to light which strengthens the case that the CCG acted wrongly in the way they made the Seaton decision. This will be used in representations to the County Council. I also urge voters to make the Seaton and Honiton hospital beds a priority with all candidates in the General Election, so that whoever is our MP makes the new Health Secretary aware of local anger about this issue.’ “

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

11 May 2017

Posted under

Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Hospital care at home instead of community hospitals? Think again

Summary: done properly it’s too expensive – a private company wouldn’t buy it because there was no massive profit for them.

“Almost 60 jobs have been lost at a company which provided acute hospital-at-home care after a deal to secure the service collapsed, forcing it to appoint administrators.

ORLA Healthcare Ltd, in partnership with University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, operated a ‘virtual ward’ service providing in-home care for patients deemed to need admission to an acute bed.

The service was provided by an experienced team of consultants, middle-grade doctors, qualified nursing staff and healthcare assistants 24/7, 365 days a year.

The team used state-of-the-art technology offering the same level of care available in hospital and was also supported by pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Partner Graham Randall and director Simon Campbell, of restructuring and insolvency specialists Quantuma, were appointed joint administrators of ORLA on 4 May 2017 following the last minute collapse in negotiations with a buyer.

The company’s 59 employees have been made redundant and Quantuma is assisting them with making their claims and taking all steps necessary to maximise recoveries for creditors.

Graham Randall said: “Patient feedback showed 100 per cent satisfaction with the service.

“Enabling patients to be treated at home rather than cared for in hospital improves their outcomes, releases hospital beds and reduces the risks of cross infection.

“The business works as an operating model and given time I am sure this will have translated into a successful financial performance.

“However, as a result of a last minute breakdown in negotiations with a buyer, the company was running out of cash so it had no alternative other than to wind down the business quickly and relocate patients.”

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/southwest/60-jobs-go-at-hospital-at-home-service-provider

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

10 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, EDDC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

999 call for support at EDDC on 17 May for emergency motion on NHS in Devon

Save our Hospital Services East Devon Facebook page:

“EDDC council meeting 17th May, 6.30 pm – Knowle, Sidmouth.

We [Independent East Devon Alliance] have a motion going before the Council condemning the closure of our community beds.

Support from members of the public during public speaking would really help us and show your local ward member how you want them to vote.

If you can come along and support us we would be very grateful, this is a tough fight. The item is late (last?) in the agenda but you can ask to speak before that item rather than at the start of the meeting. Do contact me if you need more information. Here is our motion and the East Devon Alliance Councillors who are proposing it:

“Councillor Cathy Gardner, seconded by Councillor Marianne Rixson and supported by Councillors Val Ranger, Matt Coppell and Megan Armstrong:
“That this Council condemns the decision of the NEW Devon CCG to close community hospital beds in Seaton and Honiton and calls on our County Councillors and MPs to oppose further cuts to services in East Devon as part of the ongoing Sustainability and Transformation Plan.”

This comes hot on the heels of a damning report on our so-called “Success Regime” Clinical Commissioning Group, which has managed to get us into an even worse mess than the regime it replaced:

(also from same Facebook page):

“Largest CCG given updated legal directions as finances sink

Health Service Journal – 4 May, 2017 By Nick Carding

Fresh legal directions given to troubled NEW Devon CCG

Deadline for submission of 2017-18 operating plan is Friday

CCG’s cumulative deficit now stands at £120.5m

The largest clinical commissioning group in the country has been given fresh legal directions over its financial management, amid a worsening of its cumulative deficit.

NHS England has imposed several instructions on Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG, which has been in the region’s success regime since 2015, and is yet to agree its operating plan for 2017-18 with regulators.
The deadline for submitting the plan is Friday.

The updated directions, which took effect in late March, replace previous directions from August 2015.

They include:

The financial recovery plan and any amendments to it shall continue to be subject to NHS England approval.

NHS England may direct the CCG in any other matters relating to the financial recovery plan.

NHS England could dictate the process to be followed by the CCG in making appointments to its executive team or the “next tier of management”.
The CCG’s cumulative deficit since 2013-14 now stands at £120m, after it ended 2016-17 with a £42m deficit.

In 2016-17 it had forecast a cumulative deficit of £107m.

The region, which has been warned it could become subject to the new “capped expenditure process” devised by NHS England and NHS Improvement, has been ordered to come up with affordable operating plans by Friday.
The plans will be reviewed with national directors at NHS England and NHSI later this month.

The CCG and the NHS providers in the NEW Devon footprint had a joint financial plan for 2016-17.

Neither the CCG nor the providers could identify further savings without “having a severe impact on patient care”, CCG governing body papers said.
In February, the CCG confirmed plans to reduce the number of inpatient beds across four community hospitals in its eastern locality from 143 to 72.
For 2017-18, one of the main providers on the patch – Plymouth Hospitals Trust – has launched a £40m financial improvement programme, which includes workforce redesign.

HSJ asked the CCG what its financial forecast and savings target would be in 2017-18, but a spokeswoman said it would be inappropriate to respond to questions relating to 2017-18 because their plans have not yet been approved.

South Devon and Torbay CCG is also under legal directions.
Article updated at 3.33pm, May 5, after new information was provided by the CCG.

Source:
CCG board papers and information provided to HSJ”

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

6 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, County councillors, Health and Social Care (local), Martin Shaw, NHS (local)

Seaton’s new County councillor starts crowdfund £20,000 by Monday to try to save Its hospital, with £1000 personal initial donation

“‘THE newly elected county councillor for Seaton and Colyton, Martin Shaw, has launched a last ditch crowdfunding appeal to support a judicial review of the decision to close Seaton Hospital beds – and has backed it with a £1,000 of his own cash.

The appeal comes just days after Seaton Town Council ruled out its support for such a bid.

Councillor Shaw, who was elected last Thursday, said: “Solicitors are preparing a letter before action to send to the NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group by the end of this week, giving the case why their decision-making was flawed.

“However Seaton Town Council has decided that it cannot underwrite the costs of this first stage of judicial review.

“The Hospital League of Friends are prevented by their constitution from underwriting them, but they have opened a special bank account and a BT MyDonate site to collect funds for a review.

Monday deadline

“I have therefore decided to launch an urgent appeal to raise the £20,000 needed to fund this first stage of a review. I am asking everyone in the area who cares about the hospital keeping its beds to donate this weekend, so that I can go to the solicitors on Monday morning and say that we have the funds to take this forward.

“I am putting in £1,000 of my own money and I will use the rest of my councillor’s allowance of £10,000 to underwrite this campaign while donations come in.

“However we need donations, large and small, in the next 48 hours, if we are going to be able to proceed on Monday.”

The Seaton Hospital and District League of Friends fundraising site is at

https://mydonate.bt.com/donation/start.html?charity=129867

and in order to donate for judicial review, people must write ‘judicial review’ in the ‘personalise your donation’ box.

It is also important that people email Cllr Shaw cllrmartinshaw@gmail.com to inform him of their donation, so that he knows how much money has been raised.

The League of Friends has said that if money is donated which is not used for judicial review, donors will have the option of having their money returned, or donating it to support the work of the hospital.”

https://www.viewnews.co.uk/new-county-councillors-crowdfunding-bid-hospital-beds-judicial-review/

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

2 May 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, Developers/ Development, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Comments

1 Comment

NHS Property is planning to sell hospital sites to private sector health firms

Noted by Claire Wright via Twitter:

“Plans to release NHS-owned land and buildings for commercial use could be further delayed, after the future of a report into the UK’s health system was thrown into doubt.

The Department of Health was due to report its findings into public health in July, but there are now concerns it could be delayed amid wrangling around the June’s General Election.

The project, known internally as Phoenix, is set to overhaul the way in which healthcare services are procured and run.

The new report was set to review the system, and a proposal to split the country into six regions so that buildings could be run more centrally. The Government wants to raise £5bn from the sale of public land by 2020.

This was expected to result in an acceleration of the release of land and buildings to the open market as more surplus stock was identified across the estate. This could have been snapped up by developers wanting to build much-needed homes, or bought by the private sector to be improved and then leased to local health services.

At present, buildings are run and leased to service providers by LIFT Partnerships, which bring together local public health bodies and private sector providers, working with NHS Property Services.

But property professionals have warned that the election could cause further delays to the implementation of the new system.

One developer, who did not wish to be named, said the report was also supposed to clarify the way the estate would be managed in the future.

“This could have also paved the way for private healthcare companies to acquire property to provide better local services,” he said. “These things take long enough as they are without further delays.”

Another warned that any new administration could seek to slow the sale of land or property under pressure from local opposition.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/05/01/nhs-property-strategy-could-delayed-election-developers-warn/amp/

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