Agenda item

Malcolm Hines, Chief Financial Officer, briefly presented the history of the Primary Care Trust’s wish to develop and improve the Dulwich Hospital site, and introduced Rebecca Scott, Programme Director for Dulwich for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  Ms Scott explained the background work the project has undertaken in order to arrive at the two main options.  These would then be subject to a 13 week consultation starting in late February and covering Dulwich, South Camberwell, and the southern edges of Peckham and Nunhead. 

Councillor Jonathan Mitchell said that he was pleased to see the envisaged use of the Dulwich Hospital site – it was ambitious but capable of being achieved.  The chair asked whether other suggestions can be made beyond the two options outlined in the consultation document.  Andrew Bland said that other options can  be considered as long as they meet the case for change.  He did not claim that the CCG has a monopoly on good ideas. 

Councillor Noakes asked whether the proposed model is unique to Dulwich, whether it is affected by the Secretary of State’s response to the TSA and whether people can make wider comments about potential use of the site and building.  Andrew Bland, Managing Director of the CCG, responded that the CCG will deliver consistent high standards across the borough but acknowledges that different solutions are required for different locations.  He did not so far see much impact from the TSA recommendations but would keep this under review.  On the consultation point, he explained that the CCG is consulting in respect of its health commissioning responsibility, i.e. on future health services.  Malcolm Hines explained that the NHS property services company will take ownership of the site.  The CCG will be required to put forward a business case in the light of the consultation findings, and unused areas of the site will be offered out in the first instance to public sector organisations.  The CCG was working on the assumption that the new hub will be on the Dulwich Hospital site.

The committee made a number of suggestions around the EQIA and asked the officers to ensure they included Cooltan Arts, STAG and the full range of faith communities. The chair asked how the CCG’s conflict of interest policy applies to this project and at what point the Dulwich GPs would have become aware of this project.

RESOLVED

The CCG officers agreed to send the consultation documents and schedule to committee members when it formally launches and to report back on the point re GPs’ interests.