A representative from CCG will be present to discuss the proposed health and wellbeing centre in Trowbridge and respond to questions on health provision and associated issues.
Cllr Keith Humphries, Cabinet Member for Health (including Public Health) and Adult Social will also be in attendance to talk about health support for the delivery of the Trowbridge Health & Wellbeing Centre and respond to any questions.
Minutes:
Simon Truelove, Finance Director- Wiltshire CCG observed that the current model of healthcare was struggling to keep up with funding constraints. He noted that with an ageing population where over 65s were growing at a rapid rate of 5% and consuming about 55% of total health resources, it was imminent that there was better use of resources and clinicians were calling for greater links in integration of services not only with hospitals but across board involving all the different health sectors like mental health, adult care, community and therapy services, hospital based community services such as maternity, and stroke units, complex diagnostics such as MRI and endoscopy and the many others.
He emphasised the need to expand primary care capacity to respond to the increases in the population and to facilitate easy access to primary care in order to boost confidence and avoid congestion at Accident and Emergency centres in hospitals.
Mr. Truelove mentioned that the merger of 3 surgeries in Trowbridge – Bradford, Adcroft and Widbrook – was a demonstration of the need for an integrated and enhanced primary care service. He noted that the capital requirement for setting up a Health and Wellbeing Centre was huge and given the limited funds available Wiltshire CCG was bidding for funding support from NHS England and working with Wiltshire Council on opportunities that could be developed to create a primary care hub for the population in Trowbridge.
Maggie Rae, Corporate Director, Wiltshire Council reiterated the need for a multi-faceted approach in working together to attain 21st century services and for people to enjoy a better community life. She noted that with the NHS taking over some of the hospital buildings it was imperative that the Council established a good working relationship with the NHS as well as the estate boards involved.
Maggie Rae referred to the One Public Estate Programme where the Cabinet and Local Government Authority had jointly secured funding for Wiltshire Council and partners to accelerate rationalisation of estates, co-location of services like the Health & Wellbeing Centres and the development of regeneration sites. Mrs. Mae mentioned that the One Public Estate Programme was on course to submitting another bid for more funding and plans were in place not only to provide housing, retail and leisure facilities, but to also build new modern health facilities.
She noted that the building of the new Trowbridge Health Centre (i.e. the merger of Adcroft, Widbrook and Bradford Road surgeries), would serve to relocate existing GP provision into more fit for purpose accommodation. However, it would not address the additional capacity needed in primary care provision in Trowbridge and Wiltshire CCG would make the decision on what services or buildings would be commissioned.
In response to a question from Cllr Oldrieve on whether Wiltshire CCG could confirm its commitment to support the integrated health centre, Mr. Truelove commented that Wiltshire CCG was absolutely committed to supporting the Centre but revealed that the there was a 100m funding gap that needed to be closed, hence the need for bidding for funding from NHS England.
Cllr Graham Payne enquired about the use of the old buildings/premises of the surgeries that had merged to form the super surgery in Trowbridge, notably the Widbrook surgery building and whether Wiltshire CCG would retain the building and ring fence that promise to retain it and not dispose of it to acquire further funding.
Mr. Truelove noted that space deficit was an issue and responded that the premises would continue to be used for the provision of health services. He observed that the local practices in Trowbridge wanted to provide the new model of care rather than have competition from a new practise setting up. He emphasised that how the centre is built and developed would be key to the provision of primary care services in the community.
Mr. Colin Kay commended the vision of developing a health and wellbeing centre to address community health needs and stressed that the inclusion of plans for fitness and leisure centres would play a key role in addressing health matters; he suggested that a leisure centre/gym could be opened on a hospital premises to boost healthcare.