Minutes:
The Chairman, Councillor Blunt welcomed Rebekah Mercer and Steve Lloyd to the meeting and provided background information on the work undertaken by the Local Plan Task Group. He explained that the purpose of inviting the CCG to the meeting was to understand how the Borough Council’s policies affected the CCG policies.
The Planning Policy Manager gave an overview of the Council’s current position and where the Council was in the process.
Rebekah Mercer and Steve Lloyd gave a presentation, a summary of which is set out below:
· Understanding of how/if new GP practices fit in with the Borough Council’s Plans for major development/growth.
· The presentation given to the Environment and Community Panel on 17 January – Norfolk and Waveney Sustainability and Transformation Plan (a copy of which has been emailed to the Task Group).
· New CCG established in September 2016. How the NHS was changing and that the CCG had applied for delegated commissioning.
· NHS England who managed GP contracts had applied for delegated commissioning which would go live on 1 April 2017.
· An overview of how GP premises operated/individual contracts/3rd party developers.
· An overview of what GP provision needed to do when a growth area had been identified/
· GP funding – based on the number of patients.
· The potential for joining up services/delivering services differently to meet the needs of the population.
· Additional appointments being available during the winter period – Monday to Friday 8 am to 6.30 pm.
· Upon retirement of partners within a practice, sometimes decision taken not to replace.
· How the CCG could work with GP practices to obtain their thoughts/views.
· Availability of different models to provide services.
· Consultation on planning permissions – CCG have Estates Team based in Foulbourne.
· Training apprentices/grow your own/recruit in the future.
· Co-location of services – GP practices anticipated to get bigger in the future. Explore how patients can access the maximum number of services in one loation.
The Task Group was invited to comment/ask questions, a summary of which is set out below:
· Problems in areas on the north coast with an ageing population. Difficult to get a GP appointment
· How to encourage younger qualified GPs to West Norfolk.
· The Borough Council would liaise with the CCG to provide information on where development growth was likely to occur in order to make GP practices aware of increased provision for services.
· Borough Council’s call for sites – ensure that information on GP surgeries is included in the assessment process.
· Transport difficulties experienced in rural areas.
· How CIL could be used, if identified as a priority for health services.
· The Planning Policy Manager provided an overview of the work being undertaken with Social Services.
· Portfolio Holder – Development attending future CCG Meetings.
The Chairman, Councillor Blunt thanked the CCG for attending the meeting and highlighted the importance of the Borough Council maintaining regular contact with the CCG and invited them to provide an update to the Task Group in a few months time.
AGREED: 1) The Borough Council/CCG to explore how they could work together.
2) Portfolio Holder – Development be invited to attend appropriate CCG meetings.
3) A Gomm to forward preferred options allocations to CCG.
4) CCG be invited to attend a future meeting of the Task Group to provide an update.