Representatives from the Healthier Together Project Team, Trafford CCG, CMFT and UHSM will be in attendance to provide a verbal update to the Joint Committee.

The Chair introduced this agenda item by informing the Committee that he had written to the Manchester and Trafford CCGs to confirm the view of the Manchester and Trafford Joint Health Scrutiny Committee that UHSM should be designated as a specialist hospital before the final decision was taken on the 15 July.

The Committee expressed their regret that UHSM had not been chosen as a

specialist hospital. The Chair said that the Manchester Health Scrutiny Committee had been informed that Healthier Together consultation process had been conducted over a three and half year period at the cost of £4m to the NHS. He said that that throughout the consultation process the public were informed of the criteria that would be applied, such as clinical and financial considerations on which any final decision was to be made. However the final decision to designate Stepping Hill as the fourth specialist site was reached to accommodate travel arrangements for the residents of the High Peak area – an issue only raised in the final year of the consultation.

A member commented upon the reputational damage to UHSM as a result of this decision and noted the judicial review being sought by a number of Consultants at UHSM.

Dr Guest said that the Healthier Together decision was reached as part of wider consideration given to the whole of Greater Manchester and he said that the decision would not affect the ability of UHSM to receive patients. He said that blue light ambulance responses will take patients to the appropriate hospital for those patients requiring emergency surgery.

Dr Guest said that there would be no material change to the provision of services provided at UHSM. He added that the development of shared teams across hospital sites will improve surgical teams and improve standards. He said that the establishment of such larger teams will allow them to share expertise, contribute to teaching and allow them to provide cover across sites. He said that this will make them an attractive proposition when recruiting consultants in the future.

Mr Bellingham said that NHS England had no role in the Healthier Together decision other than to ensure that correct process had been followed. He said that NHS England were satisfied that due process had been followed.

DECISCION:

1. The Committee regret the decision taken by the Committees in Common on 15 July 2015 not to designate UHSM as a specialist hospital site.

2. The Committee re-iterate the importance of the £12M capital investment for the Accident and Emergency Department at UHSM and request that this investment is fully implemented as soon as possible.

3. The Committee note that when the New Deal for Trafford decision was taken it was with the understanding that no services at UHSM would be withdrawn.

4. The Committee will continue to monitor the impact of the Healthier Together decision on the New Health Deal for Trafford.

5. The Committee requested that future update reports will include information detailing assessed risks identified and measures taken to mitigate these.

6. The Committee agreed to convene an additional meeting to allow representatives from UHSM and CMFT to attend to discuss Healthier Together and answer questions from members. The date of this meeting is to be agreed and will be circulated.