SKYE & LOCHALSH PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP FORUM

At the Broadford Hotel

Tuesday, 2nd July

at 3.00 p.m.

Present:Ross McKerlich (Chair)

Michael Francis (Vice-Chair)

Dr. Leo Murray

Angela Campbell (Minute)

Dr. Caroline Gould

Liz MacDonald

Morag Greenshields

Catriona Leslie

Mary Ann MacFarlane

Jim Rennie

Julia Rudram

1. / Welcome & Apologies
Ross McKerlich welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were received from Kate Earnshaw, Sue Eggerton, Margaret Humphrey & Isobel MacDonald.
2. / Minute of Last Minute
Approved – Michael Francis
Seconded – Caroline Gould
3. / Matters Arising
Relief GP Post – No applicants, needs to be re-advertised. Michael and Peter Jones looking at ways to make the advert more appealing and to attract applicants.
Care Home Managers – MG asked why all 6 care home manager posts were advertised together. This to be answered at the next meeting when Kate is back. / Kate
4. / Update on Redesign of Health Services in Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross
Dr Murray : Roger Tanner has been appointed Project Manager and will be working alongside Aileen Walker.
Roger Tanner will be running 2 workshops, 1 in the South on 15th July and 1 in Portree in September. The venue for the South one is to be confirmed as it was originally being held at MacKinnon House in Kyleakin but due to the lack of disabled access a new venue is being looked at.
LM understood that the workshops would be by invitation only and CG had seen the distribution list and thought it was mostly Health & Social Care Staff on the list and that more members of the public should be invited – LM agreed with this.
Dr. Murray gave answers to the questions asked at the last meeting (copy attached with minutes) and explained that these figures are based on patients being admitted to A&E, not patients who were admitted to hospital and then transferred.
It was asked if it was possible to determine how many of the patients seen in Broadford from the North end were seen after 11 p.m. as PortreeHospital close. Dr. Murray could source these figures but confirmed that this would be a very small figure.
Unfortunately Dr Murray did not have the answers to the questions around the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), but did confirm that the Red Cross are very rarely used.
5. / Items for consideration at District Partnership Forum
Patient Transfer: RM expressed his concern over this and it was also brought up the Wester Ross Forum as they have been trying to sort this problem for 20 years. RM feels that the problem is that there are 3 different contacts for booking patient transfer and it should be centrally controlled with one telephone number.
LM: Broadford Patient Participation Group have just been given the green light to run a ‘Rural Transport’ scheme in collaboration with the Red Cross. This scheme will assist patients to visit the Broadford Medical Centre and would also allow them the time to do some shopping, if required. At the moment the PPG are looking for volunteers to take calls and to drive. The proposed mileage rate for volunteers is 45p per mile. Fund raising is taking place at the moment at the Medical Practice to enable some patients to travel free of charge but some payment may be required. Dr Murray explained that the Ambulance Volunteer Service failed trying to do the same thing as they could not secure volunteer drivers and MG agreed that the mileage rate will need to be looked at as 45p is not enough to cover fuel & wear and tear of a car. Sue Eggerton is a contact for the Broadford PPG.
Isobel MacDonald had written a letter of concern to the Chairman regarding the Midwifery service and expectant mothers getting themselves to the hospital.
This item is to be put on the Agenda for the next meeting.
Respite Care at Home: RM had concerns re the current service for carers having respite at home. It had been brought to his attention that when this service was transferred from HC to NHHS the hours available dropped from 150 to 55 hrs. These hours include travelling time and not all the time is spent with patients. It was agreed that pressure should be put on to have this service improved.
As there was no-one at the meeting to comment on this, this will be to put on the Agenda for the next meeting.
6. / Open Forum - discussion
Discussion Points:
CL had a list of questions from Portree to be answered which will be emailed to RM and forwarded to Kate on her return.
MAM thought the figure of 11 patients being admitted to Broadford Hospital from Wester Ross was very revealing but it was pointed out the this figure could be more if more services were on offer.
LM stressed that all thoughts and concerns should be submitted to the option appraisal.
MG thought that it was important that all suggestions be practical.
CG expressed her concern regarding the notice given for the workshop on 15th July as she just found out about it on the 1st.
MG would like a regular update on the action plan and development of the Home Care Service following the recent report by the Care Commission.This is to be made a running item on the Agenda. / RM/Kate
9. / AOCB
There was no AOCB.
11 / Date and Time of next meeting.
Tuesday, 1st October at 3 p.m. in Broadford Hotel.

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