GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

modern facility following the addition
of entirely new equipment. The newly
renovated space was designed to
create an optimal area for patients
with cardiopulmonary history or
classified as ‘high-risk’. The gym was
fitted with the latest equipment and
a fully integrated audio-visual system
to provide music during exercise
sessions and will support education,
mindfulness, and relaxation needs.
The new Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre
has been named in honour of our good
friend and colleague, the late Mr Lionel
Perez, in recognition of his voluntary
services.
SPONSORED PATIENTS
Since the 1997/98 Financial Year,
the sponsored patients budget spend
has increased from £1.8m in March
1998 to £19.4m in March 2017,
which represents an average of a 13%
increase per Financial Year. We have
carried out substantial work to take
back proper control of our sponsored
patients’ plans of care by GHA
consultants. The critical importance of
ensuring that our patients’ care is fully
managed by the GHA’s consultants
who liaises with all other professionals
has had the welcome effect of resulting
in efficiencies of £6.8m in 2017/2018
compared against the Sponsored
Patient’s Budget of 2016/17.
2017/2018 was the first time in the
eleven Financial Years that Sponsored
Patients has not gone over budget
and has come in at a surplus against
its allocated funds. This significant
reduction in expenditure has enabled
the Government to reinvest into our
Health Authority.
CLINICAL GOVERNANCE AND
TRAINING
The Government has worked handin-glove
with the GHA to ensure
training of all levels of staff to the
highest standard. We have worked
with the newly established Clinical
Governance team to embed clinical
governance structures and procedures
in the GHA. We have accepted
all the recommendations from the
investigations carried out by the
Ombudsman.
The Government has been
exceptionally keen to hear the
feedback from patients and others.
In November 2016, we established
the Patient Advocacy and Liaison
Service so that patients enjoyed a
fully-resourced office in which to raise
queries and complaints in the first
instance. The PALS Office has become
a welcome resource for the GHA’s
patients to receive advice, support and
assistance.
SCHOOL OF HEALTH STUDIES
We have significantly invested in the
GHA’s School of Health Studies in
order to train all levels of the GHA
to maintain the highest standards of
patient care.
GIBRALTAR AMBULANCE SERVICE
We are fully committed to delivering a
purpose-built Ambulance Station that
meets the fundamental requirements
to operate a professional Emergency
Ambulance Service. This includes
an overview of the present staffing
complement and skill mix with a view
to increasing our present Paramedic
complement to allow for continuous
cover and resilience.
BUDGETARY CONTROL
We continue to improve processes that
will deliver more stringent budgetary
control and financial balance. These
initiatives include the implementation
of new accounting systems. The
proposed GHA budget allocation
for the 2019/20 Financial Year is
£138M and includes a contribution
of £6.3M from the Improvement and
Development Fund to continue to
invest in capital initiatives, such as
fitting out the soon-to-be opened
PCC. The financial projections indicate
that the GHA should keep within its
allocated budget. Our confidence is
based on the reduction in overspend
in comparison to previous years.
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS
WITH PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
OUTSIDE GIBRALTAR
We have worked very hard to secure
agreements with Clínica Universidad de
Navarra, (locally known as Pamplona),
Quironsalud, Hospiten Group, and
Xanit, 4 highly renowned health care
providers for tertiary services. We
have ensured that the GHA’s Clinical
Governance Team has been intimately
involved in the negotiations so that
our patients receive tertiary services
that are in line with the values set
out in the GHA’s Constitution, while
achieving the best value for the taxpayers’
investment.
ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION
We have ensured that GHA patients
requiring organ transplantation now
have access via the UK Transplant lists
to join the NHS Blood Transfusion
Service organ donation scheme. Two
patients have already had kidney
transplants in the UK since this new
system was rolled out.
STEM CELLS
We are finalising arrangements to be
able to provide the services of storing
stem cells for all children born in
Gibraltar.
MENTAL HEALTH
Once again, it is impossible to list all
of the reforms and improvements
we have introduced for our mental
health services. Some of the more
noteworthy advances in mental health,
include:
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
Community services continue to
provide supportive community care
for service users with complex and
enduring mental health problems.
We have seen increased consultant
psychiatrist clinics and face-toface
community mental health staff
contacts. This change, in easier access
to community services, has seen a 14%
increase in this last year in contact/
engagement of service users and their
families.
We have introduced an outreach
support component for community
patients comprised of 3 experienced
qualified nurses. The service
introduced a nursing after hours oncall
service, 7 days a week) including a
mental health support line.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR
CHILDREN
A new, and much needed Clinical
Psychology for Children and Families
104 ...aspire to the best Gibraltar