To receive a report from the Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford.

The Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford presented the performance report from April – May 2018 to the Committee. The Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford focused on ongoing issues that had not yet resolved and new issues that had been raised during April and May. The ongoing issues were; nurse led bed based intermediate care, public consultation processes, and phlebotomy. The New Issues raised were concerning Dentistry and Personal Health Budgets.

HealthWatch Trafford had conducted a review of Ascot House (the main intermediate care facility within Trafford) and found that it was not being used as a step up service so people who needed low level care had to go into hospital. There was concern as the Department of Health had released a statement saying 25% of people who were in long term care would have to come out of hospital. Having looked at the capacity of intermediate care services in Trafford, HealthWatch had concluded that there were not enough beds to cope with the projected additional demand.

HealthWatch Trafford had started to look at phlebotomy first by working with the HealthWatch 100 and had then conducted a further piece of work which received over 300 responses. A report was due to be published within the next two weeks and the findings passed onto Trafford CCG. HealthWatch had also received complaints about children’s phlebotomy which they were following up.

The Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford had met with the Chairman of the Local Dentistry Committee and had found out that 40% of the Trafford population were not signed up to a dentist. HealthWatch felt that the Bridgewater trust, which was an organisation set up to provide vulnerable people with dental care across Greater Manchester, was not doing all they could to support dentistry within Trafford and had spoken to the Interim Director of Public Health about this. Oral Health was becoming a concern in care homes across Trafford. Despite there being NICE guidelines in place relating to oral health a number of care homes within Trafford were unaware of them.

The Chairman of the Committee thanked the Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford for the report. The Chairman stated that he wanted the Committee to work closely with HealthWatch especially in relation to phlebotomy and dental services within Trafford.

The Executive Member for Wellbeing explained some of the issues of dental services within Trafford and informed the Board that the Health and Wellbeing Board were looking into this area. The Chairman requested that the Committee be kept up to date on the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board in this area. 

Councillor Bruer-Morris asked why Trafford did not employ Health assistants at GP practices. The Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford did not know the answer and suggested that it should be asked of Trafford CCG.

Councillor Duffield asked whether HealthWatch had a proposal of what the nurse led intermediate care bed system should look like. The Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford responded that a proposal had been created the previous year which involved using the George Carnall facility for more intermediate care beds for both step up and step down care.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the Chairman of HealthWatch Trafford be thanked for attending the meeting.

2)    That the Health and Wellbeing Board keeps the Committee updated on the work relating to dentistry within Trafford.

3)    That Councillor Bruer-Morris’ question be sent to Trafford CCG for an answer.