Brighton and Hove health chiefs spell out new year hopes

The new Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group gave a public presentation and held a question and answer session this afternoon (Tuesday 15 January).

Forty people attended the presentation in the council chamber at Brighton Town Hall, including more than a dozen board and staff members.

The board then went into closed session for a formal meeting.

The clinical commissioning group (CCG) is due to take responsibility in April for commissioning health care in Brighton and Hove. It will take over from the primary care trust which is being abolished at the end of March.

One member of the public, Ron Sharratt, from Woodingdean, asked why the meeting was being held somewhere so tricky for wheelchair users to reach.

CCG chairman Dr Xavier Nalletamby said that future meetings would be held in wheelchair-accessible venues.

Asked about the dispute between Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and the private business Sodexho, CCG chief financial officer Michael Schofield said that he wasn’t aware of it.

But he assured people that any private providers commissioned by the CCG would be properly vetted before any contracts were awarded.

CCG accountable officer Dr Christa Beesley introduced her fellow board members.

She said that the CCG would have a budget of about £400 million a year. About £36 million would be spent on general practice -or GP – services.

She flagged up the five-year difference in mortality along the number 1 bus route.

Life expectancy is 77.4 years in Whitehawk, 75.4 years in Brighton town centre, 79 years in central Hove, 78.6 years in South Portslade and 80.9 years in Mile Oak.

Tackling health inequalities would be among the challenges faced by the CCG.

She said that the CCG’s goals were to keep the local population healthy, provide accessible care, provide high-quality care and involve patients and the public.

She promised more integrated services and that where improvements were needed they would be addressed.