Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Executive on issues brought to the attention of the Committee which impact upon the planning, provision and/or operation of health services within Hampshire, or the Hampshire population.

·         Primary Care Update – Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Dental Services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight – NHS England and NHS Improvement

Dental Services

The Committee considered a report from NHS England & Improvement on access to dental services in Hampshire (see Item 7 Appendix 2 in the Minute Book).

Members heard that dentists had closed during the first covid lockdown so there was a backlog, and once they re-opened the infection control measures in place meant that dentists were operating at reduced capacity. Due to the need to allow time between appointments to clean, dental services were operating at 65% of commissioned capacity. Priority was being given to emergency dental care and those treatments deemed clinically necessary. There was also a workforce pressure in terms of the number of dentists which had started before the pandemic.

A needs assessment of oral health had recently been undertaken to help identify the areas of highest need. This was due to be published in the new year and additional services would be commissioned based on the assessment of need.

In response to questions, Members heard:

·      Additional funding had been offered to dentists to encourage the provision of additional appointments e.g. out of hours, however not all practices were able to take this up

·      Dentists are independent providers and can chose to undertake paid work

·      Pre-pandemic many practices encouraged 6 monthly check ups, however the guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence suggests every 2 years is sufficient in many cases

·      It was acknowledged that Rushmoor had been omitted from the table breaking down Units of Dental Activity by Local Authority and this would be rectified in future updates

·      If individuals were seeking an appointment, they should keep trying different practices to find one with availability

Members were concerned that feedback from residents indicated people having difficulty getting appointments. Members were concerned that these capacity issues were increasing inequality as it may be possible to access private dentistry easier than NHS dentistry. Members were concerned that the lack of availability of dental care during this time would build up demand for more complex and expensive treatments in future. Members were interested in whether the number of dentists accepting NHS patients had changed in recent years.

Given Members concerns on this issue, the Chairman agreed to give consideration to what more the Committee could do in preparation for this topic returning to the Committee.

RESOLVED:

The Committee notes the impact of the pandemic on availability of dental care. The Committee request an update from commissioners in March 2022 on progress with increasing capacity in dental services.

Primary Care Update

The Committee considered a report from the Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group regarding Primary Care (see Item 7 Appendix 1 in the Minute Book). It was acknowledged that access to GPs was an issue at the moment.

Members heard that:

·         Digital methods of contacting a GP suited some people

·         It was also now possible to see a range of clinicians not just a doctor, as appropriate to the condition

·         It takes 7 to 10 years to train as a General Practitioner (GP) and it was unlikely that there would be as many GPs per head of population in future as there had been in the past

·         The ratio was around 2000 to 3000 patients per GP at present

·         The Hampshire area was receiving around £7.7 million from the Winter Access Fund, which would be used to pay for additional GP appointments over the winter period

·         From January 2022 it would become possible to access your medical records digitally

·         e-consult should be available out of hours for those whose jobs mean calling in hours is difficult

·         Practices were working together in Primary Care Networks (PCNs) which aimed to build resilience and be a way to share good practice between practices

Members expressed concerns that the triage in place may ultimately be inefficient if people need a face to face appointment following on from a telephone appointment. A Member from Basingstoke highlighted that she was aware of a practice that only offered e-consult in working hours. A Member also gave an anecdote of a practice suggesting that patients try NHS 111. It was agreed that a point of contact at the CCG be provided to Members for raising concerns about local practices that couldn’t be resolved locally.

RESOLVED:

The Committee note the update on Primary Care and welcome the GP Winter Access Fund, and request a further update in March 2022.