Agenda item

(a)    Question from Mr. D. Wright, 15 Chantry Close, Cantley, Doncaster, DN4 6RX, to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

“South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP)

I am concerned that NHS England has failed to consult the Council on the STP.  The Health/Social Care shortfall for Doncaster will be £139.5 million by 2020.  No detailed financial information is available to the Council or to the public. The Plan contains no guarantee that current levels of hospital provision will be protected.

All Councillors should be concerned at the lack of information/implications of the STP which will dramatically affect the lives of Doncaster people.

Will the Mayor inform NHS England that she opposes this STP and in doing so ask for the support of all Councillors?”

(A)      Question from Mr. Doug Wright, 15 Chantry Close, Cantley, Doncaster, DN4 6RX, to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones.

“South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

I am concerned that NHS England has failed to consult the Council on the STP.  The Health/Social Care shortfall for Doncaster will be £139.5 million by 2020. No detailed financial information is available to the Council or to the public. The Plan contains no guarantee that current levels of hospital provision will be protected.

All Councillors should be concerned at the lack of information/implications of the STP which will dramatically affect the lives of Doncaster people.

Will the Mayor inform NHS England that she opposes this STP and in doing so ask for the support of all Councillors?”

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following reply:-

“Thank you for your question Mr. Wright.

NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are the NHS’ own proposals to improve services for patients.  Plans are arranged across 44 geographical areas or ‘footprints’ which cover the whole of England. Doncaster forms part of the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw STP, led by Sir Andrew Cash, the CEO of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  The plans are being built in partnership with local councils, and in discussion with the communities they serve.

The published South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw STP has been shared with all Elected Members, and was discussed at the Doncaster Health and Wellbeing Board on 12th January, 2017 where I understand you raised concerns about the lack of detail provided as to where the savings would come from to make up the identified financial shortfall.  You also asked for a temporary halt to the STP to enable a listening exercise to be carried out between the clinicians and the public.

At the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Board was informed about the public consultation exercise on the STP that is due to begin in February, that would be led by all the local Healthwatch providers.  Councillor Glyn Jones expressed the view that the STP was still a very high level plan, in terms of its content, and there was not enough detail in the STP to allow people to come to an informed decision about the proposal. He asked to see further detail on the proposals, the results of the public consultation and the Due Regard Statement, that would identify the impacts of the STP proposals.

The Plan itself is at a very high level, and contains little or no detail as to how future changes to the NHS and social care will take place.  The proposal is for a series of work streams to identify future changes and we await the implications of that work before passing comment on any individual proposals.

In relation to the STP itself, it has much to commend it, in terms of improving equality of access and quality of services for local people.  However, I have significant concerns about the budget pressures which will have to be accommodated within that.  I will be making those comments as part of the consultation process.

At this stage, I will neither be endorsing nor rejecting the Plan, but will continue to work alongside NHS partners to ensure the best quality of service for Doncaster residents.  I look forward to receiving further detail on the proposal, the results of the public consultation and the Due Regard Statement.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.10, Mr. Wright asked the Mayor, the following supplementary question:-

“Will the Mayor and Council use their legal right to obtain undisclosed information on STP from Doncaster and Bassetlaw CCG, and inform all residents of Doncaster of the full consequences and implications of having the STP implemented.  Otherwise we will find this STP with all its complexities, will strangle us and the NHS service will slowly die before us?”

In response, the Mayor stated that:-

“Mr. Wright, I share your concerns about the NHS, but I cannot endorse or reject proposals as we have to wait and see what the information is before us when it comes out.”