NORTH & WEST SUTHERLAND LOCAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP

Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 7th Feb 2008 at 12:00 noon in the Rhiconich Hotel, Rhiconich

PRESENT:Dr Andreas HerfurtLead Clinician

Dr Moray FraserCHP Medical Director

Dr Alan BelbinGP Durness

Dr Alex MacLeanGP Assynt

Dr Cameron StarkPublic Health Consultant

Mrs Georgia HaireCHP Assistant General Manager – Sutherland

Mrs Lorraine Coe Clinical Nurse Manager

Ms Mary BurnsideLead Midwife

Mrs Donellan MackenzieHighland Council Social Work

Mrs Elspeth MatherCommunity Rehab Team

Mrs Sandra MacFarlaneFamily Health Nurse

Mrs Mairi EastcroftFamily Health Nurse

Ms Lyn TwiggerCommunity Nurse

Mrs Sylvia MackayN&WSCA

Miss Christian GoskirkN&WSCCF

Mr Simon GuttridgeCPNA

APOLOGIES:Dr Chris DuckhamGP Tongue/Armadale

Dr Marion MacdougallGP Tongue

Mrs Sheena CraigCHP General Manager

Mr Don CameronScottish Ambulance Service

Mr Don CampbellHighland Council Social Work

Mrs Sandra SinclairHighland Council Social Work

Mrs Liz BaillieHighland Council Social Work

Ms Lesley MitchellHighland Council Social Work

Mr Miles GreenfordPublic Health Practitioner

Mrs Fiona DuffNHS Highland

Mrs Alison LiddellMacmillan Nurse

ATTENDING:Dr Dave RobertsRural Health Fellow

  1. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

  1. MATTERS ARISING

2.1Paediatric Physio

There was no new information. Georgia Haire agreed to take this matter forward.

2.2Visits to Bases

A paper is to go to the next CHP Management Team Meeting. Work is underway to the Nurse Bases at Bettyhill and Melvich.

2.3Community Rehab Team

It was noted that the temporary port-a-cabin base is not yet in place. Elspeth Mather noted that she had been contacted by someone regarding potential office space at the Fisherman’s Mission. Georgia Haire agreed to look into this.

2.4Anticipatory Care Project

It was noted that there is to be a meeting immediately following this one to set up the Steering Group etc.

  1. GMS

Enhanced Services

Georgia Haire reported that she, Fiona Duff and Ross Mackenzie will be visiting all North & West Sutherland Practices on 17th March to discuss Enhanced Services.

Dr Alan Belbin asked what if any new information there was on the Carers Enhanced Service. There was no new information.

  1. RESULTS OF BREASTFEEDING AUDIT

Present at the meeting was Mary Burnside, Lead Midwife for the North Highland CHP. Mary noted that the results of the recent Breastfeeding Audit in Highland were now available. The audit she noted had taken place before she took up post as Lead Midwife. Feedback from the audit was positive she said. She went on to add that Caithness General is working towards the “Baby Friendly Award” this is a UNICEF Project.

There followed a discussion regarding the information and advice given to new mothers through “Baby Friendly”. In NHS Highland there are two Infant Feeding Advisors, however, in this area there are a number of Midwives who can provide this information through the Baby Friendly imitative. Sandra MacFarlane noted that with the changes to Midwifery on-call in Sutherland mothers may not see a midwife out of hours. Information and advice is available via the intranet she said. It was suggested that Karen Mackay, Infant Feeding Advisor been invited to a future meeting of the LHP to talk in more detail about the role.

  1. RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

CPN - Older Adults

The post of CPN – Older Adults: 9 months maternity cover has been filled. Debbie Sutherland will take up post towards the end of this month.

Consultant Psychiatrist

Interviews for the Consultant Psychiatrist post will take place in late February. Dr Moray Fraser and Sheena Craig will be on the interview panel.

Andreas Herfurt noted that interviews for the Staff Grade post will take place on 27th February ’08.

Long-term Conditions Management

Georgia Haire reported that the post Project Leader for the Management of Long-terms Conditions had been agreed and would go out to advert in the near future.

  1. OLDER ADULTS BUSINESS CASE FOR SUTHERLAND (Formerly known as Care of the Elderly)

It was agreed to ask Bob Silverwood and Sheena Craig to update the LHP on progress at its next meeting. Donellen Mackenzie noted that they had recently made a presentation to the Chief Officers Group on the proposals for the area.

Dr Andreas Herfurt noted that the Caladh Sona Action Group had in January delivered a questionnaire to every home in Bettyhill, Skerray, Tongue, Melness and Durness regarding the future provision of services for the elderly in the area. The results of the questionnaire are at present being analysed but it is hoped they will be available soon.

Dr Cameron Stark noted that there is a group looking at the services which will be provided in the new hospital to be built in Bonar. It is not right to assume that the new hospital will do exactly as the old one did he said, therefore it is right to include folk from this area in the discussions about what the new hospital will provide and what will be provided in the Lawson, Cambusavie Unit and the community. These he suggested need to be clinical decisions. It was agreed to put this proposal to the next CHP Committee.

Sylvia Mackay noted that she had received a letter from Highland Council informing her that all discussions regarding funding from the Highland Council to the North & West Sutherland Care Alliance would now be held at local level with Local Managers i.e. Bob Silverwood.

  1. OUT OF HOURS

Andreas Herfurt noted that the new Out of Hours arrangements are working well in Armadale and Tongue. It was noted that Durness, Kinlochbervie and Scourie sometimes use locum cover at weekends. This may increase in the future. Dr Maclean noted that the Assynt GPs are continuing to provide weekend out of hours care.

  1. SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE

There was no one present from the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss the problems. It was noted that Single Manning of Ambulances continues to be an issue.

  1. FINANCE

Georgia Haire made available information up to 31st December 2007. The North & West Sutherland LHP is forecast to be under-spent by £197,000 at the end of the financial year. Georgia went through in some detail the reasons the expected under-spend.

The CHP is forecast to under-spend by £75,000. In detail: Caithness LHP to over-spend by £9,000; Caithness Acute to over-spend by £199,000; Management Costs to over-spend by £66,000; Marie Curie to over-spend by £96,000 and East Sutherland to under-spend by £246,000

  1. PRESCRIBING

There was some doubt as to the precise role of the new Lead Pharmacist/Prescribing Advisor following the resignation of David Dunn, Prescribing Advisor for Caithness. Dr Andreas Herfurt agreed to seek clarification from Claire Morrison.

  1. NORTH & WEST SUTHELAND MIDWIFERY ON-CALL

Lorraine Coe reported that the current arrangements for Midwifery on-call were working well. It was agreed to keep them in place.

  1. AOCB

There was no other competent business.

  1. DONM

The next meeting of the North & West Sutherland Local Health Care Partnership will take place on Thursday 6th March 2008 at 12:00 noon in the Ben Loyal Hotel, Tongue.

N&WSLHP – Minutes 7/2/081