Agenda item

Report of City and Hackney CCG

The Committee received a report of the City and Hackney CCG and welcomed Dan Burningham, representing the City and Hackney CCG, and Dr Waleed Fawzi, representing the East London NHS Foundation Trust, to the meeting. The report presented an outline proposal to merge two continuing care dementia wards to create a shared older adult dementia inpatient ward at Thames House Ward, Mile End Hospital. The involved the closure of Cedar Lodge, a ward based on The Lodge site in City and Hackney, and increasing the number of beds available at Thames House Ward from 12 to 18 beds.

There had previously been three wards on The Lodge site, but as 2 had been relocated Cedar Lodge was now isolated. Cedar Lodge currently had no onsite junior doctor coverage and required ambulances in emergencies. Patients had previously been expected to live in these wards before end of life care. However, the need for beds had reduced in the last 5 years as more patients were being assessed as requiring nursing home care. If physical needs predominated, then a care setting was thought to be more appropriate. The aim of the proposal in bringing the two wards together was to create a centralised inpatient service where patients with physical needs could be treated before eventually returning to being nursed in the community. As both wards were under-occupied and under-utilised, the merger would increase financial and staffing provision and enable the use of therapies that could not currently be provided at Cedar Lodge.

Whilst there were wider issues with regards to funding allocation and the delineation between healthcare and social care, the merger was a medium-term solution which would provide a better service than at present in both wards, and was part of an overall strategy to improve standards in Older Adults inpatient services and a commitment to integrated care. The Committee noted that there were no patients from the City of London currently admitted at either ward. Members agreed with the proposal and endorsed the plans for the merger.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report and attached briefing paper, and endorse the proposal that the reconfiguration proceeds without the need for any further stakeholder or public consultation, beyond that already planned or undertaken.