Agenda item

Members are asked to receive a presentation from the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) entitled ‘Shaping our Vision’.  A copy of the presentation and supporting papers are attached and the Committee is invited to comment as they see fit and give their views on the key questions as detailed in the presentation.

Mr Richard Lyne, General Manager, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) gave a powerpoint presentation to the committee. The presentation entitled ‘Shaping our Vision’ was included in the agenda pack. Members were asked to consider three questions as follows:

1)    Did Members feel that the parties listed in the presentation were the right stakeholders for EMAS to engage with on this particular strategic piece of work?

2)    What would Members of the LLR Joint Health Scrutiny Committee like to see within EMAS’ vision for the future?

3)    What feedback did the committee have on the emerging vision?

Members considered the presentation and raised comments and queries which included the following:

·      A Member asked whether all staff were sufficiently trained on mental health issues and Mr Lyne said that there was a plan to roll our mental health training to all staff. 

·      A Member referred to the co-location of blue light services and Mr Lyne commented that this was a high priority in terms of their vision as there were numerous benefits. It could be seen to be operating well in Market Harborough.

·      A concern was raised that there was a ‘mismatch’ between public expectation and what could be delivered. A Member asked how this gap between expectation and delivery could be addressed; how EMAS could convey to people what the ambulance service was about and what alternatives there were. It was also noted that there was an aim to treat more people at home and a Member asked for more information as to how this could work.

Mr Lyne responded that health care was very different now than it had been a few years ago and the public’s expectations of the ambulance service were also very different. Very often people who called 999 did not need to go to hospital. To address this a working group was being established across the LLR with all partners with the aim to reduce conveyance by looking at new pathways, using existing pathways better and managing public expectation better.  This might involve transporting the patient to an urgent care centre instead of a hospital but if the hospital was considerably closer, they would aim to go there instead. The service would try to balance the clinical need and keep people in their local area where possible.

·         Dr Underwood, Healthwatch Rutland referred to the queues of ambulances outside the Emergency Department during the winter of 2017/18 as they waited to deliver their patients. Mr Lyne explained that EMAS were working with the hospital to reduce handover delays, in order that ambulances could be released sooner. One of the high priorities in Leicester was to look at what could be done to reduce those delays.

In summary, the vision document was generally well received but a Member said he would like to have seen information about what had been achieved so far. The Chair commented that the Leicester City Council Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Commission received regular reports, but she would also like to receive information on the use of legal highs and how EMAS, local authorities and the Police were dealing with that issue.

AGREED:

1)  that the EMAS presentation on ‘Shaping our Vision’ be noted in the light of comments made; and

2)  that a further report be brought back to the committee.