NHS North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (NHCCG) has released the outcome of the Alton Health Services Strategic Review that was launched in October 2015.

It will now be delivered as a New Models of Care Programme.

Led by NHCCG with significant engagement with members of the public and professionals from across health and social care, the review is said to have led “to progress being made in identifying and progressing service improvements to meet current and future needs.”

Following two public events held in Alton in January and March last year, attended by more than 400 people, the review picked up on key issues of public concern. Heading the list was GP care which highlighted a lack of GPs, difficulty in getting appointments, especially for those with long-term conditions, and of getting home visits at weekends.

The response from the review was “to work with GP practices to develop local teams of health and care professionals, working together, supporting the local community. These teams comprise GPs, nurse practitioners, mental health specialists, and community social care representatives. Prevention and self-management and improving access to services is also an underlying priority.

“The first new projects being commissioned are improved access via GP practices to direct access to physiotherapy services and access to a shared prescribing pharmacist covering all GP practices in the Alton area.

“These services will free up doctors so that they can focus on more urgent and proactive care.”

There was real public concern over the need to retain and improve local outpatient services provided at Alton Community Hospital, to serve the local community.

While assuring that: “Improving outpatient efficiency remains a priority” to “ensure the best use of resources” the CCG is said to be “working with providers to support alternative models of providing acute outpatient follow-ups, such as offering advice and guidance” while promoting the effective use of technology, “so that support can be given ‘closer to home’ in the community.”

In addition, “an analysis of outpatient referrals for Alton residents is being reviewed with Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust. This now contributes to outpatient clinic provision, along with the use of diagnostics. It will also inform future planning for the population of Alton. There will be an opportunity to offer patient choice and diagnostic access for X-rays and it may benefit those with challenges travelling to Basingstoke by offering services in Alton.”

On the question of health, wellbeing and mental health in Alton’, residents described mental health care for adults and children to be “non-existent.”

They asked for “better access and more services for children and young people” as well as “more preventative support and aftercare” and these services should be made available locally.

On health and wellbeing, the review states that the CCG is working with Hampshire County Council (HCC) and other key stakeholders to help communities become “stronger and more resilient.” A ‘community connector’ has been recruited, to work with vulnerable people in Alton “to provide information and sign-posting to local health and wellbeing services.”

The CCG is also “collaborating with East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) to establish a health and wellbeing forum to develop a local plan for Alton.”

However, on Mental Health, scoping of existing services is said to have shown that support for mental health is available although not always known about. As such, the CCG has developed a directory of mental health services and is working with HCC to advertise these services on www.connectsupport.hants.gov.uk/

The CCG is also working with EHDC and the Wilson Practice on a social crisis pilot project for people with mental health problems.

On the question of self-care and prevention, while local residents were found to be happy with the service, CCG is working with local GP practices and pharmacies “to ensure that staff are trained to support healthy conversations and information for those that need support for their mental health, can be given to members of the public.”

On the question of care for older people in Alton, the call was for more “joined-up care provision” locally, to reduce the need for older people to travel to Basingstoke. Also for more beds to be made available at Alton Community Hospital to relieve the bed-blocking problem at North Hampshire Hospital.

In recognising “the vital role the community hospital plays in delivering one of its core priorities – to deliver the right care to patients closer to home” the CCG is working in partnership with Southern Health Foundation Trust (SHFT) who own the building, “to increase overall capacity, through better management of flow through local Alton community beds.”

With the focus on how unnecessary acute hospital admissions can be avoided in the first place, the CCG has commissioned and expanded an enhanced ‘Recovery at Home’ service and is working with others to develop a network of local support available for older people living with frailty.

On the question of maternity and child health there was an issue over provision for children with type-1 diabetes and those needing paediatric physiotherapy services who currently have to travel to Basingstoke for appointments. In response to a national review of maternity services, the Better Births Programme is currently being rolled out across Hampshire which, for those living will “provide more choice around antenatal care, their place of birth and postnatal care.”

In summary, the outcome of the review claims that: “Amongst others, GP care in Alton is transforming through the development of multi-specialist teams around and within the practices; there is increasing emphasis being placed on prevention and self-care with genuine community connections; and the CCG is working more closely with local authority partners and provider organisations on local care based on local need.

“In addition, diagnostic provision in Alton is another priority that is being addressed; there will be better signposting to mental health services; and we are working ever more closely with the local district council (EHDC), to establish a local health and wellbeing plan for Alton.”