Hiilingdon PCT can see light at the end of the debt tunnel

Last month it was proposed that London’s 31 PCTs should all pull together to resolve London’s historic debts. The Department of Health offered a sweetener of £100m, so the deal has now been agreed, throwing a life-line to Hillingdon PCT which is still burdened with huge debts.

Providing Hillingdon PCT breaks even financially up to March 2011, including debt repayments of over £8m in each of those years, then its remaining £19m debt will be met by the other London PCTs. In the meantime Hillingdon PCT can borrow from the other PCTs to enable it to provide essential local investment. This is all fantastic news.

Less good news is that Hillingdon PCT and The Hillingdon Hospital are facing some difficulties in resolving coding problems that govern how much the PCT pays for the hospital’s services. Pending resolution, Hillingdon PCT is withholding payment above the level of its commissioning agreement. It is hoped that mutual understanding will be reached, but the hospital could seek resolution via arbitration.

The Urgent Care Centre at Hillingdon Hospital is breaking even for the PCT, but the hospital’s A&E Department is losing income in consequence. In contrast, the PCT’s Audit Committee found that the Referral Management Centre (designed to keep people out of hospital and provide services closer to home) shows no evidence of value for money, nor of improving the patient experience and it has had a negative impact on the relationships with The Hillingdon Hospital and GPs - but it has been successful in providing services more locally for 70-80% of GP referrals. This sounds like win some, lose some

Targets and ratings continue to absorb much time and energy. Sub zero temperatures in December plus a local flu outbreak caused The Hillingdon Hospital to breach its A&E target to treat all patients within four hours of arrival. It also had two MRSA cases that month, one above target, but this target demands reduction of previous performance, which started from a low number. So, despite breaching its target for this time of year, this hospital continues to have relatively good MRSA infection control compared with similar hospitals.

The PCT’s Healthcare for London event in the Chimes, Uxbridge, last November, showed that the public has little awareness of what the PCT actually does. The PCT’s new strategy aims to improve public awareness and participation in its affairs and it is inviting both Hillingdon Local Involvement Network, LINk, and other lay representatives to join a number of its committees.


Joan