To discuss with the League of Friends of the Community Hospitals their role, how they are funded and what their future role could/should be in terms of reducing resource bases.

The Board received a briefing report which outlined the function of Community Hospitals, the services available and how these aligned with, and supported the transition from, acute care.

As from April 2011, Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust (the Trust) managed eleven Community Hospitals with a total of 196 beds.  The two Community Hospitals in Torbay were based in Brixham (with 20 beds) and Paignton (with 28 beds).

It was noted that the hospitals were open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and that they admitted, treated, rehabilitated and discharged patients.  They provided a multi-professional team response which was focussed on maximising the return to independence of patients through a short-stay in-patient admission.

Each of the Community Hospitals in Torbay had a daytime Minor Injuries Unit and operated a wide range of therapy and out-patient services.  These services included those provided in-house as well as provided from South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (i.e. Torbay Hospital) and Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust (i.e. Derriford Hospital).

The report went on to give details of the current performance of the Community Hospitals, the interaction with the Community Zone Teams and acute hospitals and the future challenges (such as the ageing population, increasing complexity of needs and increasing community based care).

Representatives of the Leagues of Friends of Paignton and Brixham Hospitals attended the meeting and gave details of the work that they undertook.  It was noted that the Brixham League of Friends had raised the funds for improvements to Brixham Hospital and were now at Stage Three of the refurbishment.

Concerns were raised about whether investment at Brixham Hospital would have an adverse effect on Paignton Hospital including its future viability. The Chief Executive of the Trust assured the Board that there were no plans for Paignton Hospital to close.

The Board asked a number of questions of the Chief Executive including in relation to the use of one floor at Paignton Hospital for offices and the better use of the Community Hospitals for oncology treatment, chemotherapy and blood transfusions.  It was noted that Paignton Hospital was the base for multi-disciplinary community zone teams.

In response to one of the Board’s questions, the Chief Executive advised the Board that safeguarding procedures in relation to vulnerable adults needed to be made more accessible and that the Trust was looking at ways to make information more readily available through “easy read” versions of documents, etc.

The Board heard that the added clinical value of community hospitals was not clear but needed to be quantified in comparison with, for example, nursing homes.

Resolved:  (i)  that the members of the Leagues of Friends of Brixham and Paignton Hospitals be congratulated for their good work;

(ii)        that the Board receive the monthly League of Friends newsletter as part of the Health Digest;

(iii)       that, as part of its Work Programme, the Board define and assess the added clinical value of the Community Hospitals in conjunction with Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust; and

(iv)       that the Director of Professional Practice (Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust) be asked to explore further the practicalities of using Community Hospitals for delivering other more specialist services.