CANCER AND ELECTIVE CARE BACKLOGS
Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to receive an update from Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System and Frimley Integrated Care System.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Witnesses:
Mark Nuti – Cabinet Member for Adults and Health
Professor Andy Rhodes – Joint Chief Medical Officer Surrey Heartlands
Louise Stead – CEO Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of the Surrey & Sussex Cancer Alliance
Helen Coe – Director of Operations & Recovery, Surrey Heartlands
Jo Hunter – Director of Planned Care, Surrey Heartlands
Nicola Beech – Programme Director, Surrey & Sussex Cancer Alliance
Orlagh Flynn – Integrated Care System Programme Director Elective Care, Frimley
Liz Howells – Director of System Planned Care, Frimley
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Chairman asked how the current strikes would impact the backlogs. The Joint Chief Medical Officer Surrey Heartlands said that some assessments and surgery scheduled had been postponed because of the strike action. The Chairman asked if cancellations figures as a result of the strikes were available. The Director of System Planned Care, Frimley advised that 2,700 patients had had their appointments cancelled for the four day strike period and patients had been offered new appointments at the time of cancellation.
2. The Chairman asked for further information to be brought back to the Adults and Health Select Committee in a few months’ time to include how long patients had waited for their appointment before they were cancelled and how long the subsequent wait for their new appointment would be in addition to the physical and mental impact of this. Action - Director of System Planned Care, Frimley/ CEO Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of the Surrey & Sussex Cancer Alliance
3. A Member asked how the imperative to reduce backlogs whilst ensuring that patients receive the most focused and effective care possible was balanced. The Director of Operations & Recovery, Surrey Heartlands said that the focus was to clear patients with the highest clinical priority in addition to considering innovation in treating patients differently such as fit tests and self-care initiatives. The Programme Director, Surrey & Sussex Cancer Alliance said that patient on the cancer pathway was monitored and reviewed frequently to ensure the next action was in place following clinical validation undertaken to conversations with patients and if required, patients being treated more urgently as a result.
4. A Member asked for further information about the aforementioned self-care initiative. The Director of Planned Care, Surrey Heartlands explained that this involved regular contact with patients in addition to providing them with diabetic home tests, blood pressure and ECG monitors with access to digital platforms to upload results. This enabled patients to take responsibility for their own care and provided a way for clinicians to monitor from a distance. The Member asked for further statistics about patients accessing self-care and fit tests. The Director of Planned Care, Surrey Heartlands undertook to investigate methods of reporting these figures back to the Committee. Action - Director of Planned Care, Surrey Heartlands
5. A Member asked how extensive was the use of teledermatology and had the process helped to relieve pressure in skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. The Director of System Planned ... view the full minutes text for item 16