Grant Addison, NHS South Gloucestershire

Minutes of Meeting – 1 April 2009

Minutes

1Apologies

Grant Addison, NHS South Gloucestershire

Liam Williams, NHS Bristol

2Minutes of Previous Meeting

All members agreed that they were an accurate record.

3Matters Arising/Actions not on agenda

Actions from previous agenda’s

Item 17 (24 September 2008) – Collection of Practice Staff Workforce Information

Prior to the meeting North Somerset PCT had failed to confirm if they would like the collection to continue in the present form. JC proposed that PCSA would continue to collect full level data and CM agreed with this.

Item 12 (28 January 2009) – PCT News - Violent Patient Indicator Consultation

JC confirmed that on 10 February 2009 the consultation paper issued by the Business Services Authority had been circulated to Board members with comments from PCSA.

Item 13 (28 January 2009) – Any other Business - PCT vs NHS

JC advised the group that she had made her senior management team aware of the branding of local PCTs and where appropriate PCSA documentation and references to PCTs have been changed.

Item 13 (28 January 2009) – Any other Business - Collaborative Fees

JC confirmed that PCT Finance colleagues have been advised of the 2% uplift to fees as have GP Practices and Avon Local Medical Committee.

4SLA for 2009/10 (previously sent 10.03.2009)

The proposed SLA for 2009/10 was circulated on 10 March 2009. Comments have been received that the SLA year should be added to front cover of SLA, HB will do this. JC advised that the proposed budget for Child Health exceeds what would be expected in line with CRES savings and therefore PCTs will need to consider agreement and/or a reduction in services. She added that accommodation costs are likely to be less than projected in 09/10 due to introductory rental costs which may be off-set increases.

The Board asked that true accommodation costs for 09/10 were reported at the next meeting.

HB will circulate a final SLA for signing.

Action HB

5Finance

5.1 PCSA Budget Report

JC reminded the group that the report does not show final outcome for 09/10 and that this will not be known for another month. RB said that invoices have been raised on SLA value and that this will be adjusted as soon as final figures are established.

5.2 PCSA Child Health budget report

RB explained that Chris Brookes, Bristol PCT Finance is in discussion with UH Bristolregarding £305K to be transferred to NHS Bristol.This will leave a shortfall of £43K. JC reminded the group that this risk has been reported for some time on the PCSA risk register. RB advised the group that the £305K funding will be distributed amongst BNSSG PCTs as agreed previously, and future re-charges will occur in the same way as PCSA re-charge.

5.3 Income received for pharmaceutical applications

JC reported that fees charged to date total £7250 and that they are currently recorded as joint income therefore off-setting total costs for PCSA. PCTs agreed for this to continue as will reporting arrangements.

RB said that she has raised invoices totalling 30k for the flu mailing. She said that a further invoice will also need to be recharged together with costs for McKesson Child Health System (BNSSG).

Action RB

6Update on PCSA staff resource issues/workload issues

JC advised members that two Band 3 staff will be retiring at the end of April and that recruitment has already taken place for Secretary/Administrator. 2 vacancies in Patient Data and 2 in Child Health are also at the recruitment stage. Workloads continue to be high especially in Child Heath due to requirements to meet Breast Feeding and Immunisation Targets and in Payments due to the end of the financial year and the reconciliation of GP Pension contributions following submission of certificates of profit.

7Risk Register

Funding was discussed under Agenda Item 5.2

JC also said that additional staff are being employed to assist in the recording of immunisation and breast feeding status and that recruitment on a permanent basis is now taking place.

8Dental

PCTs are concerned about possible equitable Access Schemes in Dentistry.

JC reported that the Dental PAG have written to the Deanery over concerns that Dental trainers are required to have worked in GDS for 4 years and in the same practice for 2 years which could result in a lack of availability of trainers.

9Pharmaceutical

JC said that results of oral hearings held for South Gloucestershire aren’t yet known. It was noted that an Oral Hearing was arranged in North Somerset PCT without the involvement of PCSA which resulted in a failure to issue ‘grant’ letters to the applicant. CM reported that Sarah Lillington is returning to the PCT working 2 days per week and that she will be focusing on pharmaceutical work.

10Ophthalmics

PCTs are concerned about the amount of time Contract Monitoring Visits are/could potentially take.

10.1 Report on the audit of ophthalmic claims

The content of the report was noted. JC expressed concern that Local Counter Fraud Services (LCFS) do not provide feedback on cases passed to them.

10.2 Review of procedures for the Audit of Ophthalmic Claims

JC said that Local Counter Fraud Specialists (LCFS) have said that they are happy with the document however since being informed of this JC has received copies of Performance Indicators that now questions the factual correctness of the document. JC has now contacted LCFS again but is still awaiting a response. This will be chased and reported back at the next meeting. JC asked members if they knew who, in their PCTs, received Performance Indicators? This wasn’t known. JG advised that the Avon LCFS is no longer providing a service to Bath & North East Somerset PCT. This is now provided by Somerset LCFS. JG will forward ophthalmic audit report and procedures to Somerset LCFS for comment.

Actions JG/JC

JC said that PCSA will also be writing to contractors reminding them of their obligations to check eligibility as the number of claims being received with evidence not seen appears to have increased. This will mean that PCSA will need to audit a higher number of claims, increasing costs, although costs will hopefully be off-set by more charges being collected from patients.

11Screening

JC confirmed that details of HPV vaccinations will be passed from Child Health (including B&NES)to be recorded on Exeter by the screening team.

JC also added that the team have seen a marked increase in calls from women following recent press coverage regarding Jade Goody.

11.1 Breast Screening Audit Report 2008

The content of the report was noted.

11.2 Action Plan for Breast Screening Audit Report 2008

JC advised the group that the Action Plan will be monitored at monthly meetings with Screening Manager. Concern was raised that the majority of actions require action from the screening manager and asked JC to ensure appropriate deputisation arrangements are in place for her.

12National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT)

JC reported that PCSA are, wherever possible, engaging with NHS Connecting for Health (NHSCFH) regarding the migration to the Personal Demographic Service (PDS). This has involved Denise Williams, Patient Data Manager and a local Practice Manager attending a workshop to develop work-streams for the future. More recently this also involved another workshop involving UHBristol. JC also added that following implementation of PDS Stage 2 (where Patient Data is required to allocate new NHS numbers for those patients that they are unable to trace) statistics are produced on a monthly basis showing the number of ‘avoidable’ duplicate NHS numbers. From November 2007 to November 2008, Avon was ranked highest in the South West. She added that PDS Stage 3 was to be implemented here on 26 May 2009. PDS will then be updated in real-time.

JC asked the group if they would like to view a presentation produced by NHSCFH outlining the migration of patient registration?Members confirmed that they would. JC said that she had already arranged a presentation to North Somerset Practice Managers on 4 June 2009. Other PCTs felt that thier Practice Manager Forums should be visited. JC to arrange.

Action JC

13 PCT News

B&NES – A project manager to support JG with Dental or Ophthalmics is yet to be appointed. Elm Hayes surgery will be moving shortly. TempleHouse surgery will be moving to KeynshamHealthPark.

Bristol– JW outlined possible mergers and closures. New versions of the Lockharts Contract will be issued to PMS practices shortly. She added that there are many changes in staff and roles within the commissioning team.

North Somerset – CM reported that Penny Hynds has returned from long term sick leave and that he will be stepping down from his role as ‘acting head’ at the end of April and going back to his procurement role.

14Any other Business

JC reported that North Somerset have approached PCSA to assist with sending invitations for Cardiovascular Screening.

CD Transfer of MRs – JC advised the group that Denise Williams, Patient Data Manager has tabled a paper at the Avon GP IM & T Strategy meeting proposing that GP Practices are given permission to transfer medical records on a CD Rom. This would negate the need for printing everything onto paper. The paper proposes that the protocol is owned by the PCSA Board so a full paper will be presented at the next Board meeting if the proposal is welcomed.

‘Benchmarking’ Meetings – On request PCSA has booked meeting rooms to enable PCTs to meet for an hour directly after PCSA Board Meetings. The aim of the meetings being to share learning. It was noted that these meetings would not be productive unless all PCTs attended. JW will ask Liam Williams if he will attend in future and will also arrange secretarial cover. JC will contact Grant Addison, NHS South Gloucestershire regarding his attendance.

Action: JC/JW

Date, time and Venue of next meeting:

Wednesday 3 June 2009 – 10.30am-12.00 noon

Cochrane Room, Sixth floor, SouthPlaza

Bristol PCT to Chair

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