Provision of Health Services in Rugby

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse met with Dr Adrian Canale-Parola, Chairman of the NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG. Jerry asked Adrian the following questions in relation to the provision of health services in Rugby:-

Q1: What is a CCG - A1: The 77 GP practices in Coventry and Rugby officially came together in April 2013 to form the NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group or CCG. It is responsible for buying the health services for the people in its area in a process called commissioning. This involves planning and paying for healthcare services and ensuring the quality is of high standard. The budget for 2014/15 is around £550 million and we use this to buy the best healthcare we can for about 460,000 people in Coventry and Rugby.

Q2: Why Coventry & Rugby? Surely this does not benefit this area? - A2: Originally there was a plan for a CCG for Rugby on its own. However, given the fact that St Cross and UHCW (known by most Rugby residents as Walsgrave Hospital) are run by the same Trust and residents from both areas access services at both sites, it became clear that there were benefits in the two shadow CCGs joining together. There are also similar benefits when dealing with the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust(CWPT) which delivers mental health services in both areas. Forming one, larger CCG also meant that there was more money to spend on patient care, rather than overheads. Although we work under the Coventry and Rugby CCG umbrella, Rugby does also work separately with the 12 GP practices in the town. This means that Rugby keeps its own identity and focus and means we can tackle issues affecting local people which may not necessarily be relevant to Coventry.

Q3: How safe is Rugby St Cross? Haven't we been losing services?- A3: Both the CCG and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (which runs St Cross and Walsgrave hospitals) are committed to St Cross and see it as a valuable resource. Rugby residents have told us how much they value being able to go to St. Cross for as wide a range of services as possible and we are committed to ensuring a full range of diagnostics and therapy services there, as well as a wider range of day case surgery. As care shifts more to a community setting, St Cross will play an increasingly important role in helping us achieve this. Any service shift from St Cross in the past has always been done on the basis of clinical safety and to ensure best value. There are no plans to change any further services from St Cross at present but if we need to consider any changes in future, we will continue to fully involve thepublic before any decision is made.

Q4: Surely we need a local hospital for Rugby as it expands? - A4: As I've already said, St Cross has a key role to play in the delivery of many health services. As Rugby grows, this underlines the need for St Cross to be able to deliver a range of services to meet the needs of the people of town and surrounding area. The CCG is involved in discussions about new housing developments in Rugby and understands the views of local people who want to make sure that healthcare services are considered at all stages.

Q5: People tell me its difficult to get an appointment with my GP. Will the CCG make things easier?- A5: The GP is often the first place that people go to when they need health advice and how people access their doctor will change in the future to satisfy demand. The CCG does not commission, or buy, care directly from GPs, but working with NHS England, we are committed to ensuring high quality provision, and that the public can access the care they need when they need it. It is also worth highlighting the other possible alternatives to your GP, depending on the issue. Dialling 111 and using the NHS 111 service means people can access expert advice and help while Rugby also has an excellent Urgent Care Centre at St Cross. Your local chemist can also advise you on some health matters and is particularly good to talk to about your medication.

Q6: What are your top priorities for Rugby?- A6: Our priorities have been set after an extensive process involving representatives from our GP practices, our staff, the three local authorities in our two areas and more than 1,000 local people during a series of engagement exercises. From all of this, seven work programmes have been selected to make a difference to people's experiences in these areas. They are: Diabetes; Dementia; Urgent Care; End of Life; Stroke; Children, Young People and Maternity Services; and Elective Care (planned operations).

Q7: How can I get involved in shaping the future commissioning of services?- A7: As the CCG is buying services on behalf of their patients, asking people what they want and giving patients choice is really important. We hold engagement events on a regular basis and are always keen to hear of people's views. Ways to leave feedback can be found on our website www.coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk. Alternatively, you can contact Carla Elkins, our Patient Experience/Public Involvement Manager, by emailing Carla.Elkins@coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk.