Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board. Annual Review Monday 23 June, Summarised Pre-Submitted Questions with Response

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1 Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board Annual Review Monday 23 June, 2008 Summarised Pre-Submitted Questions with Response Netherlea Children s Respite Unit As Netherlea holds 5 children at a time and covers the whole of Dumfries and Galloway, what systems are in place to ensure that families have an equal opportunity of accessing respite care? Are there any plans for another unit in Dumfries and Galloway to accommodate children up to 18 years old? Response: A joint consultation was held with families some three years ago to discuss a robust system for access to Netherlea. There is a systematic booking system which is open to all families accessing the service. A member of staff sends out booking slips three months in advance to ask families what they need and these are returned are plotted on to the allocation chart. All families get a good opportunity to get their preferences and opportunities are fairly allocated; this includes weekend and mid-week respite. In addition, each family is guaranteed a holiday respite of one or two weeks per year if they are going away and Netherlea will supply a respite service over that period. Incontinence Wear Are there any plans to review incontinence wear for children to give more choice and ensure incontinence wear provided is fit for purpose for the child s specific needs so that children do not have to use incontinence nappies designed for older people, ie, ordinary nappies with plastic backs? Response: All continence products are sourced through national procurement. Within Dumfries and Galloway we believe there is an excellent choice of products which are provided based on clinical need and family situation. There area a range of products for children. We understand that companies are continually reviewing their products but any changes brought to the market will be addressed through national tendering and national procurement. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic encephalomyelitis Does the NHS Board have any plans to provide specialist care services for chronic fatigue syndrome / ME locally? If not what clinical evidence has been used in coming to this decision? Does NHS Scotland think it is acceptable for

2 chronic fatigue syndrome / ME patients to be abandoned by the NHS and left to manage their symptoms by personal research and trial and error? Is the local NHS Board willing to pay for specialist referrals to English Trusts if no service is to be available locally in the very near future? Response: The Director of Public Health for NHS Dumfries and Galloway is the clinical lead within the Scottish Public Health Network in relation to work on needs assessment for ME. The national needs assessment is in the midst of a public / patient consultation exercise. In addition NHS Dumfries and Galloway has general practice involvement in developing the Scottish Good Practice Guide for GPs. Before taking forward any change in services in Dumfries and Galloway the Board would wish to see the conclusion of the needs assessment and the good practice statement. Funding for Day Care Centres What funding arrangements are in place for Day Care Centres in Dumfries and Galloway with particular reference to Coronation Day Centre in Stranraer? Is this a decrease or increase on the 15,000 p.a. previously offered? Response: NHS Dumfries and Galloway does not provide funding for Day Centres in Dumfries and Galloway. NHS Dumfries and Galloway previously provided a non-recurring 15,000 to the Coronation Day Centre in Stranraer but following consideration of this funding and the Board s policy on Day Centres this was withdrawn over a period of eighteen months. NHS Dumfries and Galloway, in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council, is now carrying out a review of day services across Dumfries and Galloway. This review will be reported at the end of August. Report Item 9, NHS Dumfries and Galloway Board meeting, 3 April 2006 How did the consultant carry out his report, was it a paper based exercise or did he consult any of the day care centres in Dumfries and Galloway? Can the Board also confirm the cost of the consultants report? Does the Board feel that the report was a full consultation of the benefits of day care for the elderly and how this impacts on the ongoing medical costs to the NHS, if compared, for example benefits of social interaction versus isolation? Response: The report referred to was prepared by a Consultant in Public Health Medicine employed by NHS Dumfries and Galloway and so this work and the report did not cost anything over and above the Board s normal expenditure. The work was a complete review of the published research in to the health gain that might be achieved through day care services. This

3 work was not designed as a consultation exercise and so no members of the public were consulted in the process. There was a specific visit to the Coronation Day Centre in Stranraer. Dental Provision When will a permanent dentist be appointed in Castle Douglas Health Centre for the performance of routine dentistry so that local people do not have to travel to Dumfries for appointments? Can the Board confirm that at this time the locum dentist is only allowed to perform emergency surgery? Response: NHS Dumfries and Galloway very much regrets that patients registered with Garden Hill Dental Clinic have been unable to access continuously routine dental services over the past twelve months, owing to recruitment and other unforeseen causes. A Locum Dentist is currently appointed to Garden Hill and, within the available capacity, the Locum is providing the full range of services to patients. The Health Board is very conscious that current arrangements may be causing distress and inconvenience to patients. Accordingly, the Board is now planning to extend its contract with the IDH Group, which currently provides General Dental Services on behalf of the Board at a number of sites across the region at Dumfries, Moffat and Stranraer, to include Garden Hill Dental Clinic. It is planned that as from 4 August 2008, the IDH Group will deliver General Dental Services to the existing patients registered with Garden Hill Dental Centre. Clinic staff currently deployed to Garden Hill are considering relocation options. As from 4 August, one full-time Dentist will be in post at Garden Hill Clinic and will be joined in late September by a second full-time Dentist, thus allowing resumption of routine services to NHS patients. It is intended that a further 2,000 patients may be registered at Garden Hill Dental Clinic when the full staffing complement is established. At the present time, the Board is in discussion with all relevant parties to ensure a transition from the Salaried Service to the IDH Group on the planned date. All registered patients will be contacted as soon as possible to explain the planned changes. In the meantime, NHS Dumfries and Galloway is grateful to patients at Garden Hill for their continuing co-operation.

4 Community Health Partnership Will NHS Dumfries and Galloway immediately publish their Scheme of Establishment (a statutory provision) with reference to the Community Health Partnership and open it to consultation? Response: NHS Dumfries and Galloway developed its Scheme of Establishment for a Community Health Partnership in 2004 to establish the Community Health Partnership Committee by April The current scheme is not published on our web site as NHS Dumfries and Galloway is currently reviewing the Scheme of Establishment. This review is necessary to ensure 1. future Community Health Partnership arrangements are fit for purpose; and 2. organisational relationships require to be updated to reflect change within NHS Dumfries and Galloway and our Partners. Wigtownshire pilot project (Transport of Care) / Volunteer Car Scheme The Dumfries and Galloway decision to proceed independently with an investigation into better coordination in the field of transport to hospital appointments resulted in a plan to carry out a pilot project in Wigtownshire (Transport of Care) and a consultant was commissioned to prepare a scoping study. Taking into consideration the difficulties experienced by those living in rural areas, can the Board confirm where the Wigtownshire pilot project has got to? When will the overall merits of the Volunteer Car Scheme be recognised and funded by the NHS? Response: NHS Dumfries and Galloway considered the Transport with Care Scoping Report at its meeting on 2 June The Board agreed that an implementation plan should be developed and following engagement with the local communities a further paper would be presented for consideration. Work on the implementation plan will commence in July and consideration will then be given to a pilot in the autumn. The Board is aware that the WRVS Stewartry Care Scheme may have funding difficulties. This service offers NHS related services. Currently the Board is seeking to understand these issues and will be meeting representatives of the WRVS in the near future to discuss the service and its support for individuals travelling for healthcare.

5 Treatment of Minor Injuries Minor injuries are only provided at six locations across the Region. In view of the scattered and remote nature of many of our communities this could give rise to the impression that some communities are more favoured than others. Does the Minister approve of this selective policy? Response: The question is addressed to the Minister. However, the following background is offered. On the introduction of the GMS Contract, NHS Dumfries and Galloway decided not to offer minor injuries in general practice as an enhanced service but took the view that offering minor injuries through Community Hospitals was a more appropriate model. NHS Dumfries and Galloway provides minor injuries services at six locations across the region namely Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart and the Galloway Community Hospital. By focusing this service on six areas the Board has been able to maintain appropriate training for nursing staff. The number of attendances at minor injuries units is small and the Board continues to be of the opinion that this is the most appropriate way to deliver these services in Dumfries and Galloway.