The Chair introduced Nikki Teesdale, Director of Health and Care Integration and Improvement (Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership) who gave an overview of Health and Community Care support. She evidenced the achievements of the partnership as set out in the report and said the focus was on Health Equalities.  Referring to future plans, Nikki advised that two Community Diagnostic Centres were being set up – one in Medway and the other at the Isle of Sheppey Community Hospital, utilising existing NHS estate.  She said that the Sheppey site would offer services including CT, MRI, Ultrasound, X-ray and Lung Function testing, in addition to screening. Nikki said the Sheppey Diagnostic Centre would be one of the first in the UK to offer targeted lung health checks for early screening of lung cancer.  She said the Diagnostic Centre would be used in conjunction with the Minster Frailty Ward which opened at the beginning of 2023.

Nikki then spoke about the Community Health Catalyst Programme which, in conjunction with the voluntary sector, sought to engage with residents in the community who did not always come forward for support.  She said funding had been made available to the voluntary sector to support residents who identified the needs within the community.

The Chair advised Members that the Swale Borough Council (SBC) representative on the Health and Care Partnership Medway Swale was Emma Wiggins.

Members were invited to ask questions, which included:

·                Where would the Diagnostic Centre be located as there was a lack of public transport in the area?;

·                GP’s were often the weak link to be called to screening;

·                highlighted the life expectancy ages in different areas of Swale as set out on page 8 of the report;

·                services were not always integrated;

·                questioned whether the higher than national asthma statistic was as a result of Air Quality Management Areas?;

·                what was the capacity of the Diagnostic Centre and when would it be fully opened?; and

·                the report was informative and positive for the future.

In response, Nikki said the Diagnostic Centre would be based at Sheppey Hospital using a void space and the CT Scanner was a mobile unit in the car park.  She said transport was a concern and they were looking at taking the diagnostic equipment into the community and were liaising with Sheppey Community Bus.  Nikki said the screening process would be delivered by national teams, not by GP’s, and the targeted lung health checks would work differently.  She said the highest levels of asthma were in the deprived areas of Sheerness, often caused by damp housing, and the causes, impacts and preventions of ill health needed to be looked at as the NHS was not sustainable.  Nikki said the Diagnostic Centre would open in phases, the equipment was ready to be installed when the sites were ready and she expected the centre to be fully open by the end of the 2023 with all parts of the centre to be fully open within the next two years.

During a discussion around GP provision, the Chair said GP’s came under NHS England and there was ongoing targeted recruitment.  Nikki added that they worked in conjunction with Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) to encourage GP’s into the area and GP’s were not always the right person to treat a medical issue, and alternatives such as a pharmacist could be used.  The Chair highlighted that there were 39k to 40k missed GP appointments across Kent and Medway per month.

Nikki advised Members that the next day was the 75^th Anniversary of the NHS, to which Members applauded.

Resolved:

(1)  The report was noted.