11 members present

• We have serious concerns about the lack of coordinated working between health and social care, which is impacting upon the quality of care being offered to all patients.  Because community beds have been lost, and care in the community is inadequate, patients are staying in acute hospital beds longer than they should ('bed blocking') which then means other acute patients cannot be treated (hence ambulance queues, trolley waits and cancelled elective surgery).  With reduced funding, this situation can only get worse.  We need an integrated system which will serve patients better.  After discussion, we are seeking urgent meetings to work through how things can improve.                 
• It seems that the recent restructuring in the NHS, with the abolition of the PCT and the setting up of NHS Kernow, is likely to cost more than expected, and result in more administrators than before.                                    
• We have been alerted to two cases where NHS organisations did not seem to know what was available at West Cornwall Hospital - we are investigating how communications can be improved, so that patients can benefit and be spared having to travel to Truro.                                                                                                                                          
• Poltair Hospital has now been closed to inpatients for over six months - with resultant impact on the bed situation across the county.  It seems that NHS Kernow feel that this is Peninsula Community Health's problem, and Peninsula Community Health say that they are looking for guidance!  Again, we are working to get a resolution to this stalemate.                                                                                                                                              
• We have arranged to meet Jayne Zito from healthwatchcornwall in early July, to talk through how we can work together 

• We are pleased that our Chairman, Jim McKenna, has been elected to Cornwall Council; and our Coordinator, Marna Blundy, is now a St Just Town Councillor.