MEETING WITH THE PCT

Tuesday 7th August at 4.00 pm Burlington House, Crosby Road North Waterloo
 

A recent meeting with Sefton Primary Care Trust Chairman, Mr Paul Acres, and Children's Trust Director, Mrs Jean Massam, who is responsible for commissioning children's services, gave CARES' representatives Mrs Cath Regan and Mrs Margaret Brown, together with Ainsdale Conservative Councillor, Brenda Porter, the opportunity to raise issues causing concern and affecting Southport and its outlying areas.

They were advised of the success in providing additional NHS dental services, located in Church Street, Southport, which is equipped to take 5,000 identified patients on the waiting list with the capacity to increase this number in the future if required.


CARES representatives and Cllr Porter raised concerns at the lack of a Children's Unit in Southport despite similar facilities being available for children in West Lancs. Although both Mr Acres and Mrs Massam were sympathetic to this need, it was explained that the process for reviewing all services, including children's services, takes place as part of the work to revise the Local Delivery Plan (LDP), the document which sets out the PCT's long term work programme. The current review of the LDP is expected to be complete in February 2008.

Cllr Porter, supported by both the CARES representatives, highlighted that after four years it was unacceptable that this provision had not moved forward and that transport links to Ormskirk continued to be poor and had not recognised the transfer of many medical services to Ormskirk from Southport.

Cllr. Brenda Porter

They felt that the services attached to Ormskirk recognised the concerns of their local community but the same courtesy did not apply to
Southport residents.

Mrs Regan and Mrs Brown expressed concern with recent media information that there had been a need to redirect a maternity case to Blackpool's Maternity Unit and asked for serious consideration be given for the return of a maternity service to Southport.
 

Margaret Brown (CARES)

Mrs Massam provided information on a recent Department of Health document "Maternity Matters", which sets out a framework for delivering access to safe maternity services.

The document is to be consulted upon, with clinical staff being consulted on how standards are being met to identify any possible gaps
in meeting these new standards. It recognised there was a commitment to deliver as much pre and post natal care as possible in primary care.

Mrs Massam advised of new initiatives, such as the development of Children's Centres, which would provide a variety of services from
pregnancy through a child's early years, and midwifery is available at some of the sessions.

An 'information sheet' for residents, discussed at a previous meeting with the CARES  group, giving relevant details on what to do in an
emergency if their child is ill, was to be looked into, although Mrs Massam highlighted the NHS Direct 24 Hour helpline that offers health advice and information about local services. The PCT also produces an annual information booklet called 'Your Guide to Local Services', which is made available to all homes in the borough and contains details about how people can access urgent and non-urgent health services.

Although information from the meeting gave assurances of a more even distribution of medical services across the borough following the
establishment of one Primary Care Trust for Sefton, both Mrs Regan and Mrs Brown together with Councillor Porter were disappointed with the current situation.
 

Cath Regan (CARES)

The lack of an adequate children's urgent and non-urgent care service within a clear area of need, was again highlighted for Southport and it was emphasised by Cllr Porter and representatives from CARES  that the situation had to be addressed sooner rather than later recognising the concerns of the local communities with the current situation.

Although it was acknowledged the PCT would take all these issues into consideration when developing a future commissioning plan the timescale was not agreed and there was disappointment and frustration on the lack of a shared commitment to move forward at this time.


Councillor Brenda Porter (Ainsdale Ward Councillor)
Mrs Cath Regan & Mrs Margaret Brown (CARES  Group Representatives)

 
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