Agenda and minutes

Welcome

The Chair welcomed new members to the Committee: County Councillor David Smith and co-opted members Councillors Barbara Ashworth (representing Rossendale Borough Council) and Colin Hartley (representing Lancaster City Council).

Councillor Keith Martin attended in place of Councillor M Titherington (representing South Ribble Borough Council) for this meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

Councillor Colin Hartley (Lancaster) declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 6 (North West Ambulance Service) on the grounds that he is a governor of University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust.

To note the appointment by Full Council on 21 May 2015 of County Councillor Steve Holgate as Chair of the Committee and County Councillor Yousuf Motala as Deputy Chair for the following year.

Resolved:  That the appointment of County Councillor Steven Holgate as Chair of the Committee and County Councillor Yousuf Motala as Deputy Chair for 2015/16 be noted.

A report was presented on the Membership and Terms of Reference of the Committee.

It was reported that Councillor B Ashworth had been appointed to represent Rossendale Borough Council and Councillor Colin Hartley had been appointed to represent Lancaster City Council.

The re-appointment of Councillors T Ellis (Burnley), H Khan (Chorley), A Mahmood (Pendle), and M Titherington (South Ribble) as the co-opted representative for their Council had now been confirmed.

Nominations were awaited from Fylde and West Lancashire district councils.

Resolved:  That the Membership and Terms of Reference of the Committee, as now reported and set out below, be noted.

County Councillors

D Stansfield

Non-voting co-opted members

The Minutes of the Health Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 14 April 2015 were presented and agreed.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the Health Scrutiny Committee held on the 14 April 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The report explained that a motion had been carried at Full Council on 26 February requesting the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to meet with the Steering Group of the Health Scrutiny Committee. That meeting took place on 13 April and a copy of the notes and additional information were presented at Item 7 on the agenda for this meeting.

Following the attendance of the Trust at the meeting on 13 April the Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee felt it would be both appropriate and beneficial for officers to return and have a wider discussion on the issues raised with the full membership of the Committee.

The Chair welcomed the following guests:

• Bob Williams - Chief Executive Officer, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Peter Mulchay – Head of Service for Cumbria and Lancashire
• Allan Jude – Director of Ambulance Commissioning, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (Blackpool are the lead CCG commissioner for NWAS for the North West)

Mr Williams delivered a PowerPoint presentation and explained some of the complex issues facing the service. The presentation set out performance standards, activity levels and response times both for the NWAS and Lancashire.  It was acknowledged that, last year, performance had been poor in terms of response times and the presentation sought to explain the many, sometimes complex reasons for this and the various plans in place to try to correct the situation.

Mr Williams was pleased to report a significant improvement in the figures for May 2015; details set out on a slide showed that performance against target for Red 1 and Red 2 calls had improved in every CCG area in Lancashire.

A copy of the presentation is appended to these minutes.

Mr Jude emphasised the importance of perspective when considering the figures, pointing out that just one second could be the difference between being on target or below target and that only ten percent of calls were for life threatening situations. He pointed out that last year had been exceptional and that activity nationally had been significantly higher, which had had an impact on the Service nationwide.

He reported that the CCG had received an uplift in funding of two and a half percent but they, as commissioners, had increased their investment into the ambulance service by five per cent. There were many initiatives ongoing in conjunction with CCGs and the NWAS.

The Chair acknowledged that the NWAS was operating in a difficult environment and that there were other delays in the pathway, for example transfer from the ambulance to the care of a clinician in hospital, where the hospitals' target of 15 minutes was not currently being met. He encouraged members to adopt a positive, solution-based approach.

A summary of the main points arising from the discussion are set out below:

·  The Committee was assured that NWAS was working closely with the Fire Service to maximise estates and there were several examples of shared premises; in Lancaster they were in the final stages of planning a joint new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

It was reported that on 16 March the Steering Group had met with Lancashire Care Foundation Trust to receive an update on the inpatient facilities. A summary of the meeting was at Appendix A to the report now presented.

On 13 April the Steering Group had met with officers from the Healthier Lancashire team and the North West Ambulance Service. A summary of the meeting was at Appendix B to the report now presented.

Resolved: That the report of the Steering Group be received.

Appendix A to the report now presented set out a draft work plan for both the Health Scrutiny Committee and its Steering Group, including current Task Group reviews.

The topics included had been identified at the work planning workshop that members had taken part in during April 2015 and also additions and amendments agreed by the Steering Group. Comments on the work plan and suggestions for additional topics would be welcomed.

It was noted that the topic listed for the next meeting of this Committee in July was 'Prevention' and in particular screening programmes, and an update on health checks. However, in light of the discussion about NWAS earlier in this meeting, the significance of falls and the impact of a 'no lift' policy in some residential homes on the Service, it was suggested and agreed that it would be useful to consider, within the 'prevention' theme, falls within Lancashire and what Public Health could contribute. It was suggested that someone representing the care home sector, perhaps from the registration authority, be invited to the meeting. It was noted that the county council also had its own care homes. It was also suggested that the Care Quality Commission's role relating to residential homes might be relevant.

One member pointed out that she had previously suggested Occupational Therapy Services be considered as part of the work plan and this could be a relevant factor in falls prevention.

Regarding the September meeting, at which it was intended to discuss joint working and fragmented commissioning among partners, it was suggested and agreed that this include also how partners share information and intelligence.

Resolved: That the work plan, as amended, be noted.

The Committee's attention was drawn to forthcoming decisions and decisions recently made by the Cabinet and individual Cabinet Members in areas relevant to the remit of the committee, in order that this could inform possible future areas of work.

Recent and forthcoming decisions taken by Cabinet Members or the Cabinet can be accessed here:

http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/mgDelegatedDecisions.aspx?bcr=1

Resolved: That the report be received.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There was no urgent business.

The next meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be held on Wednesday 15 July 2015 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

Future meetings for 2015/16 are set for Tuesday and will be held at 10.30 at County Hall, Preston.

1 September 2015

13 October 2015

24 November 2015

26 January 2016

15 March 2016

26 April 2016

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday 15 July 2015 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

It was reported that future meetings for 2015/16 had been scheduled as below and would be held at 10.30 at County Hall, Preston.

1 September 2015

13 October 2015

24 November 2015

26 January 2016

15 March 2016

26 April 2016

Members were asked to note their diary.