Issue - meetings

APPROVED WITH GROUNDS OF PERMISSION.

Description of Application: Erection of an endoscopy unit and a sub-station.

The Planning Officer gave a brief presentation, providing an overview of the application and update on the report.

Oral representations in support of the application were received from the Chief Executive of the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) who mentioned the time critical nature of decision making on the project and the need for an early decision if it was to proceed. He gave the following responses to Members’ questions:

·  Improved cancer diagnosis and treatment was a key priority in Bromley’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.  One in two people would develop cancer in their lifetime.  Although the cancer treatment standard of no more than two-weeks between GP referral and initial assessment was currently being met across King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, targets for the diagnostic tool of endoscopy services were not being met.  These services were often outsourced to other providers across South East London and the PRUH had to make significant use of its general operating theatres to deliver endoscopy procedures on a daily basis. 

·  While it was anticipated that artificial intelligence would improve clinical practice over the medium to long term, this would only be appropriate for a limited number of patients and the proposed unit was therefore considered an appropriate and necessary investment, particularly as an increasing number of patients required return surveillance.  Councillor Simon Fawthrop asked whether the PRUH would be prepared to accept a planning condition that the proposed unit could only be used for endoscopy with any change of use requiring a further planning application and the Chief Executive confirmed that this would be acceptable.

·  The PRUH had worked with the Council for over 18 months to review and develop options for the new endoscopy unit and had provided all necessary and requested documents.  The Chief Executive drew Members’ attention to an inconsistency in the Planning Officer’s report which did not reflect the cycle storage that was included in the design scheme.  The new unit would deliver six additional endoscopy facilities with one existing facility in the main PRUH building to be retained for critical emergency endoscopies.  This was anticipated to provide sufficient capacity to 2036, based on the current trend of 3% annual growth.  The five endoscopy theatres at the Denmark Hill site would also be retained, reflecting the high demand for this clinical area which was divided equally between active interventions and diagnostic procedures.

·  A range of sites had been considered across Bromley and the wider King’s Group.  However, due to the invasive nature of endoscopic tests and procedures, the proposed unit could only be based at Denmark Hill or the PRUH which had the necessary co-located critical services.  Government funding was only being made available for units that met all technical clinical standards under the Joint Royal Colleges.  A service offer divided across multiple sites would not meet these standards and would have additional cost and efficiency implications.  There was no scope to co-locate services with the Guys and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45