02.12.13
The power of partnership: delivering a healthy transformation for Hull
Source: National Health Executive Nov/Dec 2013
Emma Latimer, chief officer of NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning, explains the huge transformation in the primary care and community services estate in the city.
Just over a decade ago Hull’s primary care picture was incomparable to the fantastic health facilities placed at the heart of communities today.
Over 85% of patients used GP premises that didn’t meet current standards. Over 75% of practices were more than 25 years old. There was a clear need for a strategy to transform health and social care, however with a lack of public sector funds available, estate investment seemed unlikely.
Then, in 2000, the Government announced a radical new approach that aimed to improve health, social and community facilities, making services easier to access with a centre in each and every community.
The Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) Programme aimed to bring together investment and the fast paced work ethic of the private sector with the expert knowledge of the public sector.
In Hull, following a strict procurement process, Hull Citycare Ltd was formed in 2004 to deliver the health and social care estate transformation for the city. Citycare’s promise was to deliver the highest quality estate, in a socially responsible manner, where local people could see and experience the benefits on the ground from each investment.
A decade later the programme has transformed the estate, raising standards and improving patient access to services.
12 new health and community hubs have been delivered, along with an extensive refurbishment of the existing NHS estate.
Key achievements of the programme in Hull include:
• 36 GP practices have been relocated, providing opportunities for 74% of GP practices to work more closely together;
• The health centres house over 100 health and community services;
• GP list sizes have been reduced, with six new practices introduced;
• £234m has been put back into the local economy;
• 1,200 jobs have been created within Hull;
• 120 young people have been given an apprenticeship opportunity;
• 70% of Hull’s residents now access health services within LIFT buildings.
Last year also brought the most extensive reorganisation of the NHS to date. The NHS Health and Social Care Act 2012 saw the introduction of four new LIFT partners in Hull: NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England, NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships.
Emma Latimer, chief officer of NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning, speaking exclusively to National Health Executive about the programme, told us about its benefits and what’s coming next.
She said: “I’ve always been a big believer in patient and public engagement and the benefits it reaps. If users feel part of a process, they can feed in their ideas and energy, plus they feel ownership of a project.
“That’s exactly how the LIFT Programme was delivered here in Hull. Each and every facility is unique to its locality and community needs. They were all built for local people, by local people.”
Standing in Wilberforce Health Centre, Latimer (pictured below) talked about the unique facility: “At the heart of Hull’s city centre, this location was ideal for a community facility that was to house a unique mix of services.”
The health centre is home to a range of services spanning both primary and community care. This includes GP practices, sexual health services, a walk-in centre, young people’s services, addiction treatment services and ambulance services.
Latimer continued: “The idea was to bring what were once possibly perceived as hidden services into a building alongside mainstream services, so people would feel confident in accessing whatever support or care they needed, along with making service deliverers feel equally valued.
“It took a lot of engagement, listening and design discussions, but what a success story this has turned out to be. The centre has over 100,000 visitors through the doors each year accessing services. The increased footfall has also kick started regeneration in the area.”
Looking forward, she said she believes the partnership’s strengths will continue to be utilised to create a healthier Hull.
“These 12 buildings give us a great platform for the future and the next phase of service developments. Now the health centres are built and operational, the partners can concentrate on maintaining and improving service delivery, to create a healthier city, with confidence that these buildings are safe, compliant and well looked after by Citycare.
“We’ve seen the benefits of applying a single public sector approach to estate planning and where possible this will continue.
“We’ll aim to integrate health, social care and community service delivery wherever we can, and the partnership between our teams will continue to go from strength to strength because we share a vision to improve services.”
As part of the next phase, NHS Hull CCG is leading the way in developing the UK’s first community facility aimed at bridging the gap between acute and primary care.
With an expected rise in demand for care on the horizon, particularly around long term condition management and illness associated with older age, the dependency on outpatient and bed-based services is inevitably going to rise.
The CCG in Hull and its estates partners believe there is a great need for a local base, where local people can receive quality care, without causing additional strain on the city’s hospitals.
Latimer said: “The aim of the community facility will be to improve the prevention of ill-health and isolation through accessible community-based care. It will put local people in greater control of their own health and wellbeing, and in particular, ensure harder to reach communities, such as those in the east of the city and older citizens, are well supported.
“We’ll be working with NHS Property Services and Citycare to develop this facility and build on the transformation of the city’s primary health and community care estate.”