Paul Barrow - September Report

District Councillor Report for Childrey Sept 16^th 2024

August is typically a quiet month but my August across the ward has been full, including dealing with a sunken manhole on the A417 which has caused some vehicle damage (now fixed), trying unsuccessfully to make progress with the silt in Childrey Brook on the A417, a community orchard, the recreation area and dealing with vandalism in East Challow, problems in the Crest Nicholson and Childrey Park Estates, planning winter hedge planting, discussion on a possible new bus stop at the W&G Estate, visits to the Oxford Food Hub and NFU, HOSC and inspecting Childrey Brook and Challow Marsh with a Thames Water consultant about long term flood mitigation.

No 68 Community bus service

The parishes have been asked to contribute to a consultation on the future of the community bus service. I was concerned about possible withdrawal of the service in March 2025 and suggested to the OCC officers a potential option of combining the X35/69 service with some journeys passing through the villages. They replied that this would not be necessary since the 68 service would continue after 2025. I have asked our parishes to contribute positively to the consultation. Parishes might want to consult and consider whether a more reduced rather than regular service, for example covering Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and with fewer services might be sufficient. This might cut losses to OCC and increase likelihood of maintain the service. I will post about this consultation on Facebook pages and ask residents to pass their comments to the parish council or to me.

Tourist guide/map

The Map/tourist guide proposed for our villages to be funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) money has been successful and the funds approved. For this I am in the process of putting together a list of historical assets for each parish which will involve a small photo and some text. I will check these with each parish council for content and to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

Highways Engagement

We have had visits from Highways Engagement about roads which are linked flooding issues in the Letcombes and are expecting a visit to Childrey soon.

A417 flooding

I will not be submitting an EoI to the County Council about the cost to the taxpayer of the A417 flooding until the work is complete. I am concerned that the work will not be completed before the winter. I have asked for assurance that this would be the case but have not been given it. My concern is that brook north of the A417 remains badly silted. The Wasboroughs have cleared their stretch but another landowner has not andI am worried that if flooding occurs it will simply be passed further downstream and collect near the junction with Circourt Rd.

Wantage Town Council Health Committee re: GP access

Wantage Town Council Health Committee also met on Tuesday 16^th July and the two practice managers from the Church Street and Newbury Street practices were invited especially to answer questions about access.

In summary,

1. Neither practice has enough GPs for the expanding population. There is a national shortage of doctors who want to do GP work. Many of those who do, want to vary their work with other work, including private practice, and it is a seller’s market. So, the number of full positions (Full Time Equivalents or FTEs) is less than it should be.
2. This has resulted in GPs and other staff getting stressed and which is why nurses take on more of the routine injections, sample taking etc.( I get a monthly injection and it is always from a nurse and its fine except that the stuff injected gives me an inflamed abdomen but that’s not her fault!).
3. The previous access system was not working. The e-Connect system that they had was very clunky and did not work well. The new e-consult has also been streamlined so that either online, by phone or in person the form does need to be completed. The first triage is done by a GP, not by a receptionist! as many people think! The GPs rotate doing a morning or afternoon and get back to us within 24h or even sooner if it is clearly urgent. They never refer patients onto the 111 service. They now get an average of 147 requests using this system every day.
4. This new system has reduced the number of phone calls they get and has enabled consultations to be increased from 10 mins to 15mins.
5. Many people have iphones and they are encouraging people to use the NHS App to do the initial contact and it can also be used for repeat prescriptions. There will be face to face digital cafés soon to explain this system to residents.

HOSC and the Integrated Care Board

Four years ago we were told that sharing expensive facilities across county boundaries was a good idea and would reduce costs with which we agreed. This was managed by the Integrated Care Board (ICB). Since then the whole of the NHS work came under a new administrative hierarchy, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) covering Bucks, Oxfordshire and West Berks (BOB) with considerable costs associated with it. Now, the ICB, under pressure to reduce costs by 30% end of next year (20% by this year), is intending to do away with the place (county)-based directors and do everything more centrally. This goes against the grain of the general direction of health administration and will cause no end of problems for us here is Oxfordshire. Dan Leveson, our Oxfordshire Director has been excellent, in co-production of a number of issues including moving the Wantage Hospital issue forward. I question anyway whether a balance can be found at all between financial sustainability and effective localised health management during a period when primary care is also undergoing substantial change.

This came as a shock to OCC and Steven Chandler, the effective Director of health issues within Oxfordshire County Council, was visibly upset and annoyed. It is difficult to believe that the work that Dan Leveson in Oxfordshire plus the work of the other two directors can be done by one person! Everyone objected and Steven has done some negotiating, the result of which we do not yet know and will no doubt have come out in the HOSC meeting on Sept 12^th.

District Councillor Paul Barrow

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