Rushed decision making and a failure by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups (LLRCCGs) to allow a proper opportunity for public scrutiny have sparked the deep concern of the chair of the local authority committee responsible for scrutinising local NHS decisions and services.

The LLRCCGs undertook public consultation between September and December 2020 on proposals to reconfigure Leicester's three acute hospitals and St Mary' Birth Centre in Melton Mowbray.

The proposals were seen as severely disadvantaging the people of Rutland as they included the closure of both Leicester General as an Acute Hospital and St Mary's Birth Centre.

However, the LLRCCGs have opted to make the most significant decision in a generation about LLR services without honouring their commitment to the public to have a public meeting to consider the report which analyses the public responses to their consultation.

Indeed they did not release the Report of Findings on the consultation until 26th May and then only after pressure to do so from the public.

The refusal to bring the consultation findings to formal scrutiny ahead of a final decision planned for 8th June has resulted in Cllr Kitterick, chair of the Joint Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Health Scrutiny Committee speaking out.

Cllr Patrick Kitterick has released the text of a letter (attached) written to Mr. Andy Williams, the Chief Executive of the LLRCCGs, expressing his "deep concerns" about the CCGs refusing to create time for formal scrutiny in advance of approving their finalised plans.

Although the key document containing these plans has not been published, the LLRCCGs expect to approve their finalised plans on 8th June at their online Governing Body meeting at 13.30 - 15.30.

This key document sets out any changes they have made to the original proposal following consultation feedback and the final plans they will use to reconfigure local Acute Hospital and Maternity Services.

The public have been invited to attend, they must book in advance. Because the key document has not been published it will make it difficult for the public to put relevant questions to the Governing Body before the final decisions are made.

Jennifer Fenelon, Chair of Rutland Health & Social Care Policy Consortium said: "We are saddened but not surprised that our local NHS leadership is lacking in transparency and intent on avoiding effective scrutiny.

"The proposals presented for consultation were a bad deal for Rutlanders yet we have seen no evidence of how they plan to respond to the many concerns Rutland people shared during last year's consultation.

"By refusing to publish such a key document before the meeting the LLRCCGs shows real contempt for the people they serve.

"The Rutland Health & Social Care Policy Consortium has already written to Andy Williams and asked that the decision-making meeting about Acute Hospital and Maternity Services Reconfiguration be deferred until the CCGs have honoured their promise to the public for a public meeting and opportunity is provided to the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee for scrutiny of the Report of Findings on the consultation feedback.

"This Report of Findings will underpin the final plans and so needs to be properly scrutinised and any flaws identified and dealt with now, not after decisions have been taken."

The full text of the letter to CEO Andy Williams from Cllr P Kitterick can be seen below.

Dear Andy,

Thank you for your time on the phone on Thursday morning and your follow up letter dated Friday 4th June 2021.

May I take this opportunity to express my deep concerns about how the Building Better Hospitals for the Future decision-making process is being handled. I will also make my concerns and this letter a matter of public record.

The report of the consultation findings has been released in a manner and timing that provides little opportunity to properly scrutinise that report.

Of even more concern the Decision-Making Business Case is not being released until just prior to a decision potentially being made.

Whilst the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) has the legal power to transact its business, the lack of transparency around the delivery of public services and the potential disposal of public assets is of deep concern.

In our conversation you acknowledged that the documents due to be considered have been available for board members for several weeks. Unfortunately, given the potential timetable a conclusion that can be made is that the information has not been released to avoid scrutiny of the decision-making process.

The notification of the board meeting scheduled during the working day and short notice has meant that I personally cannot get out of work to attend. I can imagine that many others are in a similar position.

I would, therefore, strongly urge you to delay any decision making until a chance has been given for the public to fully examine the documents upon which the decision has been made.

Whilst, as in many cases in life, even though he LLR CCG can do something does not necessarily mean it should do.

The assets and services of the NHS belong to us all and not to one single board or body to proceed to a decision in such haste, it is clearly not right in principle.

I would also direct you to points of practicality and draw your attention to the ongoing process in the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) where the board failed to spot and address a £46 million financial "misstatement".

There were many good people on that board, as there are on the LLR CCG's but that did not stop decisions and actions to be made at UHL which everyone now

regrets.

Had the actions of officers of the NHS in that instance been subject to more transparency and scrutiny then the unfortunate events around UHL would have been far, far less likely to take place.

The consequences of the potential decisions on 8th June 2021 will be far reaching and affect Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland for decades to come and potentially will see an effective closure of a hospital and a maternity unit.

To rush to a decision without the proper opportunity for public scrutiny is a mistake which I would urge the Board Meeting of LLR's CCG to avoid.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Kitterick

Chair – Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Leicester City Council