Single accountable officer appointed for three North Yorkshire CCGs
Published on Nov 22, 2018
A single accountable officer has been appointed to oversee a shared leadership team across three North Yorkshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
The current Chief Officer of Harrogate and Rural District CCG, Amanda Bloor, has been appointed to the post by NHS England’s Chief Executive, Simon Stevens and will commence her new role on 1 December 2018.
In September this year, all three CCG Governing Bodies voted to introduce a shared senior leadership team across NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG, NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG.
Each CCG will remain a separate statutory organisation responsible for the purchasing and planning of the vast majority of health services across their area.
Dr Charles Parker, Clinical Chair, NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG said: “It is imperative that organisations across the NHS landscape think creatively about how we can ensure every pound spent is spent well. This new approach will help us deliver more sustainably by allowing us to think across the health care system, while retaining our responsiveness to local need.”
Dr Phil Garnett, Clinical Chair, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, said: “We are seeing more and more examples of local health and care organisations coming together to work across organisational boundaries to deliver more integrated models of care and treatment.
“With a growing and aging population exerting greater pressure on finite NHS resources, it seems entirely sensible for CCGs to work more closely together, to bring together assets and capabilities to improve care and patient outcomes in a way that demonstrates wise stewardship of taxpayers’ money at the same time.”
Dr Alistair Ingram, Clinical Chair, NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG “This new approach will allow us to have the best of both worlds – the system benefits of thinking at scale, while still delivering clinically led services which respond to local need. We will ensure we retain the benefit of local commissioning but with a system-wide perspective.”
Amanda Bloor said: “A shared team across the three North Yorkshire CCGs will enable collaboration and work at scale when it is appropriate while ensuring local needs remain at the heart of each CCG’s activities. While there will be a single leadership team a strong local focus and clinical leadership will continue to underpin our work.
“I am looking forward to developing new relationships and building on old while we collectively continue to ensure quality healthcare services that meet the needs of our population across North Yorkshire.”
Once officially in post after 1 December 2018, a single senior management team will be established that fits the needs of the three CCGs and their local populations.
A group representing all three CCG Governing Bodies will also be set up.
Simon Cox, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Chief Officer and Janet Probert, NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG Chief Officer, will remain in their current roles for a few more weeks to ensure there is a smooth transition
Read MoreScarborough Acute Services Review
Published on Nov 20, 2018
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Scarborough and Ryedale CCG and East Riding CCG, working under the auspices of the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, have agreed to undertake an independent review of the configuration of Scarborough acute services.
If you want to read more information on the review you can visit the Humber, Coast and Vale website, here.
Read MoreProspect Road flu clinic
Published on Nov 16, 2018
On Saturday 10 November over 1000 patients were vaccinated at the flu clinic held at Central Healthcare’s Prospect Road Surgery site. This brings the number of patients vaccinated to date by Central to around 6000.
Business Development Manager at Central Healthcare, Lesley Clemmet, said: ‘We were overwhelmed with the response from patients and are very happy to see so many patients getting vaccinated.’
“I would like to thank every patient that attended the clinic for their patience on the day. The number of patients that attended the walk in clinic was unprecedented and it’s great to see so many eligible patients taking up the free vaccination early in the flu season to protect themselves and people around them.
Anyone that felt unable to wait longer than they had planned for on Saturday and missed out on being vaccinated is still able to receive a vaccination in any of the dedicated clinics being held through the week, or when attending routine appointments at their branch surgery.”
Read MoreNew website launched to support children and young people’s mental health
Published on Nov 6, 2018
A new website to support children and young people from North Yorkshire with their mental health and wellbeing has been launched, thanks to the local NHS.
Compass BUZZ, who are commissioned by the five North Yorkshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to provide mental health services for children and young people, has launched the site to build on the existing service which offers help and support around some of the most common mental health and wellbeing difficulties.
The new website, gives children and young people as well as parents, carers and professionals, direct access to videos and helpful tips on identifying and managing difficulties including anxiety, bullying, eating problems, loss, low mood and self-esteem as well as stress and self-harm.
Lisa Gale, Service Manager for Compass REACH and Compass BUZZ, North Yorkshire, said: “For young people aged 11-18, it can be hard growing up and they can face lots of different issues.
“We have designed the website for a wide audience; to appeal to children and young people and also provide details for parents and professionals on how to support them. It focusses on four key areas: Being Bullied, Being Angry, Being Worried and Being Sad.
“There are some amazing video clips which were filmed with the help of young people from Stokesley School and Harrogate Youth Council. For more brilliant clips you can also access the new Compass BUZZ YouTube channel.
“We will be keeping the website up to date with Compass BUZZ news and events, so please take a look.”
The website follows the earlier launch of a text messaging service ‘BUZZ US’ which is a confidential text messaging service for young people aged 11-18 across North Yorkshire. Named by children, BUZZ US can be contacted confidentially on 07520 631168 Monday – Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm (excluding Bank Holidays).
On behalf of the five North Yorkshire CCGs, Janet Probert, Chief Officer of NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG, said: “There’s some really fantastic work going on with services for children and young people and we’re increasingly grateful to Compass BUZZ for launching initiatives like these. We hope our health and social care professionals, schools and community groups will help spread the word so that more children and young people can continue to feel supported by this service.”
Read MoreOver 70s urged to take up shingles vaccine
Published on Oct 26, 2018
Over 70s in Scarborough and Ryedale are being urged to get vaccinated against shingles.
Eligibility depends on age and date of birth, but anyone born after 1 September 1942 is eligible on their 70th birthday and remains eligible up until they are 80. Patients born before this will become eligible on their 78th birthday and will also remain eligible up until they are 80.
There is a cohort of people aged 76 and 77 who are currently not eligible but who will become eligible on their 78th birthday.
An estimated 50,000 cases of shingles occur in people aged 70 years and above each year in England and Wales.
Eligible patients are being advised to contact their GP practice to make an appointment to have the vaccination. The NHS says it’s “safe and may be more convenient for you to have the shingles vaccine at the same time as your flu vaccine”.
Dr Greg Black, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body member and clinical lead for medicines, said: “Shingles isn’t like other infectious diseases because you don’t catch it from someone else. It can be very painful and tends to affect people more commonly as they get older.
“For some, the pain caused by shingles can last for many years. Shingles can really affect your life, stopping you from doing all the things you usually enjoy.
“By having the vaccination you will significantly reduce your chance of developing shingles, and unlike the annual flu jab, you will only have the vaccination once.
“Side effects are usually quite mild and don’t last very long and, if you do go on to have shingles after the vaccine, the symptoms are likely to be milder and the illness shorter, than if you had not had it.”
Approximately 20 per cent of shingles cases develop into a painful and long lasting condition with two per cent of cases resulting in hospitalisation. One in 1,000 cases of shingles are estimated to result in death.
There’s more information about shingles on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/
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