Easthorpe House
165 Loughborough Road
Ruddington
Nottingham
NG11 6LQ
Tel: 0115 8837800
Fax: 0115 8837801
DDI: / 0115 8837836
Email: /
Date: / 28 March 2011
Nicola Hollins
Assistant Director of Finance – Commissioning and Contracting
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - City Campus
Finance Department
2nd Floor
New Trust Headquarters (formally Nurses Home 2)
Hucknall Road
Nottingham
NG5 1PB
Dear Nicola
Re: Formal Notice to Decommission Palliative Daycare Services provided byHayward House
I am writing in response to the initial meeting held on the 1st November 2010 between Keith Oliver (General ManagerCancer & Associated Specialties, Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH)), Helen Scott (Health Improvement Principle, NHSNottinghamshireCounty) and Kathryn Brown (Commissioning Manager, NHSNottinghamCity) regarding the options appraisal for palliative day care services at Hayward House.
Following that meeting and subsequent meetings with Keith Oliver and Vincent Crosby (Consultant in Palliative Medicine and End of Life Care lead for NUH), the view was held by NUH that palliative day care no longer fell into the definition of specialist palliative care and that services could be developed instead, (existing and new) to support more patients with complex palliative and end of life care needs.
I am writing therefore to inform you of the intention to de-commission the palliative day care service, and withdraw the associated funding relating to Hayward House, Nottingham University Hospitals from 1st October 2011. The 2011/12 part year effect of this will be transacted into the commissioners’ 2011/12 activity plan. I also understand from Keith Oliver that there are no TUPE implications of this.
This will form part of a wider review to meet the following outcomes:
-ensuring that existing patients of Hayward House day care service receive continuity of service, support and high quality care by re-commissioning the palliative day care provision across specialised palliative day care organisations within the community
Continued …
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-ensuring that all patients, regardless of diagnosis, with specialist palliative care needs have access to Consultant led in patient care, out-patient care and community out-reach services
The re-provision of palliative day care services will be achieved through a procurement exercise to identify providers against the newly developed day care service specification to ensure appropriate and capable provider(s).
It is expected that a process of engagement with service users of the palliative day care service at Hayward House will begin to ensure that patients are fully informed and reassured of the service change.
To support this, Hayward House (Nottingham University Hospitals) is asked not to accept any new referrals for palliative day care from the 1st April 2011 but to signpost to other existing services within the community. The palliative day care service at NUH will not be funded after 30 September 2011.
The development of a specialist palliative care service for all diagnoses will be achieved through a service review and engagement with clinical staff and patients/public.
Following formal notice to undertake the service review (April 2010), a service specification is now in development. It is expected therefore that agreement will be reached and an implementation plan be developed prior to the intended start date of the 1st October 2011.
Should agreement not be reached in respect of the new model of service prior to then, the funding for palliative day care will remain with the PCTs and the decommissioning of palliative day care from Hayward House will continue.
Any new investment to support the outcomes of the review of specialist palliative care will be in accordance with the relevant procurement process and requirements.
Yours sincerely
Maxine Bunn
Head of Procurement