Agenda item

[To receive an update report on the merger of Urology Services at, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust]. 

The Strategic Advisor to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Board, and the Senior Programme Manager – Strategy presented an updated report on the merger of Urology Services at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. 

The Strategic Advisor commented that they were not where they expected to be with the merger.  The Senior Programme Manager – Strategy remarked that they had spoken to the Health Scrutiny Panel in July last year about the merger.  The benefit of the merger would be to increase capacity across the two trusts and to provide a sustainable emergency Urology Service at Walsall.   It was the case that nationally Urology Service waiting times were not good.  The waiting times for Urology Services at Wolverhampton were particularly poor.  It had been hoped that the merger would have been completed by January 2022, but this had not occurred.  The major reason for the delay had been problems with the logistics and planning.  The building works had been slow, with a delay in some of the resources and the supply chain.  They were now working to a revised timetable, but she was not able to give the Panel an absolute completion date.

The Senior Programme Manager – Strategy commented that whilst waiting times continued to be poor and further decline marginally, they were working at 100% capacity in the month of February for the first time in two years.  They had engaged with the bladder cancer support group about the merger since they had last attended the Panel.  They were supportive of the merger proposal.

The Strategic Advisor to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Board added that the planning for the merger had been completely disrupted by Covid and in particular the Omicron variant.  They were hesitant to provide a date because on the construction side of the project, some of the logistics were out of the Trust’s control.  He did not believe the merger would be completed in quarter 1 of next financial year, he would be disappointed if it was not completed by quarter 2.

The Healthwatch Manager stated that Healthwatch had been contacted by the bladder cancer group who had not been happy with the engagement that had taken place.  Healthwatch did meet with them and working with the group submitted a number of questions to the Trust.  These were answered and a meeting was held with a Urology surgeon.  Healthwatch now had an agreement with the Trust to sit in outpatients to talk about any concerns the patients had. 

A Panel Member stated that they thought it would be helpful to have a more definitive target date for the completion of the merger.  The Strategic Advisor to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Board responded that they were working through a revised Project Plan and trying hard to get a clear date from their suppliers and contractors on the building works.  He thought the Trust would be in a position to give a firm date within the next month.

A Panel Member asked for clarification on how bad the waiting times were.  The Senior Programme Manager – Strategy responded that in March 2020 the number of people waiting for surgery in Wolverhampton were 756 and in December 2021 the figure was at 1405.  For outpatients in Wolverhampton in March 2020 the number was 1191, in December 2021 it was 2096.  At the end of the previous year, Wolverhampton had just over 500 people waiting over 52 weeks, in comparison Wolverhampton had 100 patients. 

The Panel Member did express a concern that Wolverhampton patients had long waiting times compared to Walsall.  He was concerned about the poor service and the fact that there was no definitive date for the merger to be completed.  The Vice Chair agreed that it was a concern there was no definitive date for the project completion and he was worried about the long waiting times in Wolverhampton.  Panel Members commented that the local problems of Urology waiting times in Wolverhampton were a reflection of the national NHS position, where over 6 million people were waiting for elective surgery.  The merger would clearly help the situation in the future. 

The Strategic Advisor to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Board added that there was a national elective recovery plan. One of the emphases in the plan was to work across Trusts to try and equalise and make the best use of capacity within all the Trusts.   

The Chair did express a general concern, not specific to Urology, about how patients would be transported to hospitals that were not close to where they lived.   It was important to consult patients when changes occurred to their normal place of treatment. 

The Chair asked for an update on the merger to be brought back to the Health Scrutiny Panel at an appropriate time in the new municipal year.   When the Trust had a revised date for the merger to be completed, she asked for the Trust to send it to the Clerk to the Panel to distribute to Panel Members.   She thanked the representatives of the Trust on behalf of the Panel for bringing the update report.

Resolved:

a)    That the update report on the merger of Urology Services at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust be noted.

b)    That the Trust notify the Clerk to the Panel with the revised date for the completion of the merger once this was known and for this to then be distributed to Health Scrutiny Panel Members.

c)     That a further update report be brought back to the Health Scrutiny Panel at an appropriate and practical point in the new municipal year.