Agenda item
Covid response and Columbia Ward
- Meeting of Online 'Virtual' Meeting, Health & Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Thursday, 23rd July, 2020 6.30 p.m. (Item 4.1)
- View the background to item 4.1
Minutes:
Edwin Ndlovu Borough Director for Tower Hamlets East London Foundation Trust made a presentation to the Sub-Committee regarding the proposed changes and planned future location for Columbia ward, a 21 bed, Organic (Dementia) Assessment unit, that provides an inpatient function on behalf of all 3 Clinical Commissioning Group CCG’s (Newham, Tower Hamlets and City & Hackney), Columbia ward is currently located within the Bancroft Unit, at Mile End Hospital (MEH) site. The main points of the discussion maybe summarised as follows:
The Committee noted that:
- COVID-19, has created the need for emergency transformation of Healthcare services to protect patients and the public; and in this period of emergency response and rapid service change Healthcare services are operating within a constrained timeframe and have tailored their engagement accordingly, to those directly affected.
- Concerns had been expressed over the distance and visitation but assurances were given that transport assistance would be provided to service users and their families.
- The emergency transformation and urgent service change proposal of Columbia ward in response to COVID -19 detailed within this presentation was an interim arrangement for a period of 12 months. Whilst the longer-term arrangements for this service would be reviewed through full and robust engagement, patients and public, this will provide the appropriate checks and balances and fully consider the impacts.
- The reduction in beds, surgical capacity and the costs of coronavirus will mean longer waits for treatment and therefore patients could be left in a situation where their quality of life deteriorates.
- Bart’s Health NHS Trust Find, in response to the continued threat of COVID -19 and at the request of East London Health Care Partnership (ELHCP) and in agreement within the Integrated care systems (ICSs) ICS and NHS London, are to restructure services by introducing colour-coded zones, specifically creating a ‘green’ zone (COVID -19 free area) on the MEH site.
- There would be benefit in an Equalities Analysis being undertaken about this emergency transformation of healthcare services and for that to be shared with Sub-Committee.
- The COVID -19 free ‘green’ zone, planned for the MEH site is designed to keep patients, staff and family/carers safe, reducing the risk of cross infection and will allow the hospital to comply with social and physical distancing guidance and contain the spread of any future infection.
- This proposal will help to achieve the benefit of improving patient experience and quality of care through the consolidation of all Cognitive Impairment Specialist Dementia beds at the East Ham Care Centre (EHCC) which provides a modern, purpose-built facility specifically designed for the care of Dementia and the Frail Elderly, there is opportunity to utilise the vacant ward space and accommodation at EHCC to greater effect to create a Centre of Excellence. Whilst family and carers of Tower Hamlets residents in Columbia Ward will be able to access assistance where travel is an issue to enable them to regularly visit the ward at EHCC.
Accordingly, the Chair moved, and it was agreed that there would be benefit in:
- Undertaking an Equalities Analysis about this emergency transformation of healthcare services and for that to be shared with Sub-Committee.
- Arranging a joint scrutiny meeting with the Hackney scrutiny commission to consider the impact of these emergency transformation of healthcare services given that these changes have a greater impact upon Hackney.
- Consideration being given to the impact of the emergency transformation of healthcare services on increasing the waiting times for surgery.
Supporting documents: