Health shake-up delayed to aid public engagement

Consultation on a far-reaching reorganisation of health services in Kent and Medway is to be delayed until next year, it has emerged.

Government plans for Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP) across the country represent the most radical shake-up in health care for decades, bringing together the NHS and other organisations much more closely.

Plans for the public and patient groups to have a say on the draft masterplan for Kent this year have had to rescheduled, although no date has been set.

Health chiefs say consultation on the first of two “waves” – including the future for emergency services in east Kent – cannot now take place because of a number of delays.

They s ay more t i me is needed “to undertake more public engagement” and they want to avoid consultation starting “too close to the Christmas holidays.”

The STP was also put on hold for several weeks during the purdah period covering the election earlier this year.

That refers to the convention that restricts public bodies from any activity during an election campaign that could be construed as affecting support for a particular party.

And clinical commissioning groups – which are made up of GPs in local areas – have not been able to sign off or discuss the STP.

That is because of the need for them to do so under joint decision-making arrangements, which have yet to be agreed and could require changes in their constitution.

Under consultation plans, the first phase will focus on acute emergency services in east Kent, alongside services for stroke patients, those with heart problems and non-emergency orthopaedic treatments.

The second wave would focus on acute care services in the rest of Kent and Medway.

The Department for Health recently graded health care services in Kent as “making progress” against various targets including the development of its STP.

The STP has already sparked controversy through the suggestion that acute care at the Kent and Canterbury could be downgraded with the William Harvey in Ashford hosting all main services, an A&E department and a maternity unit.

The STPs have also been criticised for being used as a cover for making cuts to save money.

The principal aim is to address health inequalities and shortcomings in quality as well as meeting government targets.

The Kent STP board was asked to comment but has not responded.

Picture: Getty Images/Huntstock The reorganisation was previously delayed by this year’s election