Healthcare in Suffolk

Healthcare in Suffolk is now the responsibility of two clinical commissioning groups: Ipswich and East Suffolk, and West Suffolk.

History

From 1947 to 1965 NHS services in Suffolk were managed by the East Anglian regional hospital boards. In 1974 the boards were abolished and replaced by regional health authorities. Suffolk came under the East Anglian RHA. There was a Suffolk Area Health Authority from 1974 until 1982: There were two District Authorities: East and West Suffolk. in 1993 these were combined. Regional Health Authorities were reorganised and renamed strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2002. Suffolk was under the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA. In 2006 regions were again reorganised and Suffolk came under NHS East of England until that was abolished in 2013. There was one primary care trust for the county.

Sustainability and transformation plans

Suffolk and North East Essex formed a sustainability and transformation plan area in March 2016 with Nick Hulme, the Chief Executive of Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, as its leader[1] It was one of four new integrated care systems established by NHS England in May 2018.[2]

Commissioning

Ipswich and East Suffolk, West Suffolk and North East Essex CCGs propose to merge as part of local plans to establish an integrated care system.[3]

Primary care

There are 66 GP practices in the county. Out-of-hours services are provided by Care UK which won a further five year contract in partnership with the Suffolk GP Federation to run the NHS 111 helpline and out of hours services in Suffolk and north east Essex in June 2018.[4]

Oulton Medical Centre and its satellite branch of Marine Parade Surgery, at Kirkley Mill were closed by the Care Quality Commission in October 2015 using an order from Norwich Magistrates’ Court under Section 30 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 because of serious concerns about the service and the risks it presented to patients.[5]

Suffolk GP Federation is a group of 61 independent GP practices in the county with a total registered population of 540,000. It is at present a registered community interest company, but is considering becoming one large partnership.[6]

14 of the GP practices in Suffolk, with a total patient list of 112,614, intend to form the largest single GP partnership in the country by April 2017.[7]

Acute care

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust are the main hospital providers.

Unlike the pattern in the rest of England they are at their busiest at the weekend.[8]

Mental health

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provide mental health services in Suffolk.

Community services

Serco ran Suffolk Community Healthcare from 2012 until 2015. In October 2015 the services will be taken over by a joint venture run by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.[9]

Serco said the three-year contract was not long enough to deliver the operational efficiencies it hoped for, despite saying in May 2013 that it expected to make a profit on the three-year, £140 million contract for community services.[10] It said that staff had not recorded activity accurately on the Electronic health record and that activity had increased significantly during the course of the contract.[11]

The County Council transferred 16 care homes to Care UK in December 2012 who were required to build 10 new purpose built care homes to replace them. They were subsequently returned to the council. 73 of the care homes in the county were rated “good”, 40 deemed to be requiring improvement and 7 as inadequate by Care Quality Commission inspections in 2015.[12]

HealthWatch

Healthwatch is an organisation set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to act as a voice for patients.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The leaders chosen for 41 of England's STPs". Health Service Journal. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Four new 'integrated care systems' named". Health Service Journal. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Three CCGs plan to consolidate across county boundary". Health Service Journal. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Care UK wins contract for urgent care service across Suffolk and north east Essex". East Anglian Daily Times. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Two GP surgeries are closed by court order 'with immediate effect' for first time in East Anglia". Eastern Daily Press. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "GP federation could create a 'super partnership' covering 540,000 patients". Health Service Journal. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Largest ever GP partnership to launch next year". Health Service Journal. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Hospital A&E wards busiest at weekends in Suffolk – in contrast to rest of England". East Anglian Daily Times. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Suffolk's community healthcare back in NHS hands after Serco's three-year control". East Anglian Times. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Serco to make £17.6m losses on NHS contracts". Health Investor. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Serco: Suffolk contract was 'not long enough' for change". Health Service Journal. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Suffolk County Council will 'remain vigilant' about standards in care homes". East Anglian Daily Times. 9 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
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