Focus on health

The health and adult social care select committee has been monitoring the development of these new plans. Our role is to review and scrutinise health and adult social care services, focusing on ensuring services are effective, safe and deliver high quality outcomes and experience for local people.

In June, 2014, the committee considered proposals for the new MSK services and was reassured that a consistent service would be available to all patients across the county, that NHS organisations were working together to ensure health and social care system sustainability and that there would be no significant impact on local health services.

Concerns have been raised after Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group awarded the MSK contract to a partnership between Central Surrey Healthcare and BUPA UK.

We understand that contractual negotiations are still underway but have asked the CCG to come to the next meeting of the committee, on October 2, to provide an update on the process to date and assurances about any impact the plans for the future delivery of MSK services in the Coastal West Sussex area will have on other key health services.

If, when these negotiations are completed or at any point before this, it becomes clear that implementation of the MSK services will have a significant impact on other NHS services, then the CCG will need to consult further with the committee (as well as with the public and other stakeholders).

We reiterate that the focus for the committee will be to ensure that high quality, safe and effective services continue to be delivered locally.

Councillors Margaret Evans, chairman and Dr James Walsh, vice-chairman, West Sussex health and adult social care select committee

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