The report of the Chief Operating Officer (Document “M”) provides members with a briefing on the intentions for community diagnostic services in Bradford District and Craven including confirmed funding and future intentions.

Recommended –

(1)       Members are asked to note the development of the Eccleshill Community Diagnostic Hub and future intentions regarding “spoke” provision across the district.

(2)       Members are asked to receive a future report on the provision of services in the Hub in January 2024.

(Contact: Helen Farmer – 01274 237704)

The report of the Chief Operating Officer (Document “M”) provided the committee with a briefing on the intentions for community diagnostic services in Bradford District and Craven including confirmed funding and future intentions.

The Programme Director was in attendance and with the invitation of the Chair gave a synopsis of the report. She stated that Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership had recently been successful in the approval of their business case to develop a community diagnostic centre (CDC) in Eccleshill. The CDC would be staffed and managed by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and would be located in the current Eccleshill treatment centre which previously housed diagnostic facilities prior to the decommissioning of the previous provider in 2014. The remaining space in the centre was occupied by an independent sector provider.

Proceeding the presentation, a question and answer (Q&A) session ensued:

·         What exercise had been undertaken to establish the need for this service in a specific location?

o   The provision of a diagnostic hub in Bradford District and Craven would ensure that patients had access to a range of additional diagnostic tests in community settings, in particular Eccleshill being one of the more deprived communities. The service had used a range of NHS and independent sector provision to support the service during Covid-19 and as part of the elective recovery, which had ensured the continuity to provide timely elective care to the population. However, performance against the 6-week diagnostic standard required improvement (currently 85%) and communities still faced difficulties in accessing services, either due to confidence or being unable to access services at a convenient time or location for their personal circumstances (unmet need). Redeveloping the service in the vacant space at Eccleshill had meant that the service could do this at pace and more cost effectively than building a new centre;

·         What was the situation in terms of funding?

o   Community diagnostic centres were a national initiative and funding had been secured for a range of schemes across the country from a central budget until 24/25. The budget would provide the capital to purchase equipment and develop the building, and would also provide the funding for the workforce; and,

·         In terms of “spoke” provision, when would this come to fruition?

o   A case for a further business case to develop “spoke” provision was being written which would be additional diagnostic capacity but on a smaller scale. For example, it may not have a CT or MRI scanner but would have X-Ray/Ultrasound and some other tests such as sleep studies and lung function tests. The plan was to develop a spoke in Keighley and one close to the city centre of Bradford, and also currently looking at the best locations for these based on site availability and access to provision in communities.

Resolved:-

That a report on the provision of services in the Community Diagnostic Hub be presented to the Committee by January 2024 at the latest.

Action: Chief Operating Officer, Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership