Vascular services review
Overview
Regionally, work has been completed to review and consider services and access.
Rotherham patients generally access services through Sheffield.
Letters were sent to patients, and some patients also gave their veiws either by phone or through focus groups.
Why We Are Consulting
Some of the vascular services are extremely specialist; it is necessary to balance convenient access for patients with providing quality and expertise in a small number of locations,
What Happens Next
The results will be processed by the SCG PPI staff, and fed back to pariticipants and to all PCTs
Related Information
Links:
Results
Yorkshire and HumberVascular Services Consultation – Outcome
The Yorkshire and Humber Specialised Commissioning Group (SCG) has been carrying out a review of vascular services throughout the region. The aim is to provide services in the best way in order to deliver the highest possible standards of care for our patients, whilst still meeting local need. Following earlier engagement work with a wide range of stakeholders including healthcare professionals, commissioners, providers and patients and the public, proposals for the provision of vascular services in each of the Yorkshire and Humber sub-regions were put forward for formal consultation.
The formal consultation period began on 26 October 2010 and ended on 28 January 2011. The outcome of the consultation can be summarised as follows:
There was a comprehensive response to the consultation from a range of local NHS organisations, members of the public and national bodies. Some respondents questioned the case for change whilst others expressed strong support for the proposed changes.
At the SCG Board meeting on 25 March 2011 the Yorkshire and the Humber Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) carefully considered all of the evidence. They concluded that hospitals should work in partnership to deliver vascular services within the Yorkshire and Humber (and Bassetlaw) region, with complex and emergency operations carried out in four specialist centres and the remainder of care continuing to be carried out locally. The SCG also agreed that all of the partnerships should include the following key functions:
- A strong co-ordinating clinical leadership role to liaise with commissioners, consult with colleagues and protect the integrity of the partnership
- A commitment to mutual support, with reciprocal honorary contracts in place
- A joint approach to consultant workforce planning including joint consultant appointments and, where appropriate, training and development of all staff working within the service
- Standardisation of clinical practice across the partnership
- Shared clinical audit and regular routine review of outcomes.
Specific to South Yorkshire, the SCG agreed to implement a single vascular service in South Yorkshire, with two collaborating centres in Doncaster and Sheffield delivering elective and emergency level 2 and 3 activities across both sites, with some non arterial surgery and outpatient clinics continuing to be carried out in Barnsley, Rotherham and Bassetlaw. Complex Level 4 cases would continue to be undertaken at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
It is proposed that the changes will be fully implemented throughout the region by June 2012. However, the pace of change and deadlines for each sub-regional area may vary and plans need to be further developed to address any concerns raised by consultees.
The detailed consultation findings are available in a report which can accessed fromangela.musgrave@barnsleypct.nhs.uk. The SCG would like to thank everyone who took part in the vascular services review for their interest and time. Your involvement has been valuable and your commitment is very much appreciated.