Agenda item - Public Involvement

To consider the following items raised by members of the public:

(a)       Petitions: To receive any petitions presented by members of the public to the full Council or to the meeting itself;

(b)       Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12noon on the (insert date) 2017.

(c)       Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the (insert date) 2017.

15.1    There was a public question from Dr Chris Tredgold. Mr Tredgold asked:

“General Practice in Brighton and Hove is becoming unsustainable. 8 practices have closed in the last 2 years. The Ridgeway Surgery in Woodingdean is closing in October. 8 practices are currently not accepting new patients.

Park Crescent surgery is so short staffed that Care UK has been employed to operate a telephone triage system there.

And the STP plans to load more work onto General Practice while GP recruitment falls.

Please can the HOSC say that this situation is not acceptable?”

15.2    The Chair responded:

Thank you for your question. I’m sure that we are all aware that GP services, both locally and nationally, are under a great deal of pressure and that the situation in Brighton & Hove is very serious.

It certainly isn’t the case that nothing is being done here, and later in this meeting, the committee will receive an update on what the NHS in the city is doing to support the sustainability of GP services. Following this presentation, committee members will decide how they want to further pursue the issue of GP sustainability.

15.3    Dr Tredgold then posed a supplementary question, asking the HOSC to agree to ask the CCG to be clear and honest about the further deterioration in local health services (identified by local GPs in a response to a survey) that will occur if more work is transferred from secondary care to General Practice under the Sustainability & Transformation Partnership whilst NHS budgets are being cut.

The Chair responded that the committee would wait and see.