Agenda item

Members were advised that there had been some unresolved issues with HAP UK and it had been mutually agreed to end the contract early, at the end of December 2009.  Groundwork Thames Valley (GTV) had agreed to take on the remainder of the contract as the host for Hillingdon LINk until 31 March 2011.  Very encouraging feedback had been received from the LINk and Board members about the progress Groundwork had made as the host. 

GTV was a long standing partner of the Council and had been asked to provide staff and manage the LINk contract at very short notice in an area with which it was unfamiliar.  HAP UK staff had been transferred across to GTV under TUPE regulations (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)).  

Mr Mick May, Group Managing Director at GTV, stated that, as GTV was an environmental regeneration charity, it had strayed outside of its usual area of expertise.  Whilst GTV was happy to keep the contract until 31 March 2011 and was happy to continue working with the Council on other projects, Mr May advised that GTV would not seek to renew the host contract. 

With regard to the future, Members were advised that the availability of future funding for the LINk was unclear.  Whatever the outcome, if Government funding was to be made available, it was almost inevitable that it would be at a much reduced level.  Clarity was needed on the situation - and soon. 

Concerns were expressed at the possibility that the Government might merge the LINk into Healthwatch which was practitioner-based and was more focussed on health than care.  Should the Government decide to make any significant changes, it was likely that changes in legislation would be required. 

Mr Graham Hawkes, Interim Manager of the Hillingdon LINk, thanked the Council, the support team and GTV for their support over the last few months.  Since GTV had taken over the contract, much work had been undertaken which included a new website with lots of features.  This website had been developed at less than a third of the cost of the previous website.  The support provided to the LINk had also increased from 15 hours per week to 74 hours per week with the possibility of this increasing to 96 hours per week.  The Mall Pavilions shopping centre had also provided free office accommodation to the LINk and had offered the use of a vacant shop at the centre for a minimal cost. 

Work had been undertaken by the LINk to engage with the community in a variety of ways which included events and liaising with groups such as Brunel University – particularly with hard to reach groups.  Further work had been done with Residents’ groups and the LINk had been involved in a number of specific issues (e.g., Hayes Town Medical Centre and the HESA medical extension, integration of Hillingdon Community Health (HCH) with Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust).  In total, it was believed that the LINk had engaged with more than 10,000 people, soliciting their views on a variety of issues.   

Mr Hawkes advised that Hillingdon LINk had been working with Somali community leaders.  This group had been involved in a survey that was underway which looked at the impact of KHAT.  Mr Hawkes would pass the results of this survey on to the Committee once they were available. 

Members queried how efforts were being made to make the blood pressure and blood test service accessible to Residents if they were still made to make an appointment or go to the hospital for this service.  Ms Maria O’Brien, Managing Director of HCH, advised that the community phlebotomy service was commissioned through the PCT and was currently available to housebound Residents.  Mr Keith Bullen, Chief Operating Officer at the PCT, advised that he would find out when these services would be generally available to Residents and pass this information on to the Committee. 

Members questioned whether the chiropody services had been reinstated at the HESA Centre following the swine flu outbreak.  Ms O’Brien believed that the chiropody service at the HESA Centre was now running again but that she would seek clarification and then get back to the Committee with a definitive answer.

Ms O’Brien confirmed that district nurses and carers who visited patients in the community continued to experience problems parking in areas where there were Residents’ parking schemes.  Further parking problems were also still being experienced at Hillingdon Hospital. 

RESOLVED: That:

1. Mr Graham Hawkes pass the results of the KHAT survey to the Committee once they were available;
2. Mr Keith Bullen find out when the blood pressure and blood test services would be generally available to Residents and pass this information on to the Committee;
3. Ms Maria O’Brien advise the Committee whether the chiropody service had been reinstated at the HESA Centre; and
4. The report be noted.