Agenda and minutes

County Councillor Chris Henig attended in place of County Councillor Bev Murray for this meeting.

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of County Councillors Gina Dowding and Nikki Hennessy and Councillors Roy Leeming (Preston City Council) and Julie Robinson (Wyre Borough Council).

Welcome

The Chairman welcomed new co-opted district members, Councillors Barbara Ashworth (Rossendale), Shirley Green (Fylde), Colin Hartley (Lancaster), and Liz Savage (West Lancashire).

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.

None disclosed

The Minutes of the Health Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 2 June 2015 were presented and agreed.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the Health Scrutiny Committee held on the 2 June 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The report explained that, at the June meeting of this Committee members had met with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) who had highlighted that ambulances were sometimes requested by residential care homes to pick up someone who had fallen and put them back in bed.

The report now presented provided members with:

·  An overview of the assistance that Lancashire County Council (LCC) and partners provide to private residential homes regarding training, advice and guidance on falls

·  Evidence that LCC are working with NWAS and other partners to reduce the number of falls in care homes

·  The policies that homes should have in place to deal with falls

·  Assurance that LCC care home staff are fully trained in dealing with falls

The Chair welcomed:

·  Ann Smith, Head of Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

·  Liz Wilde, Head of Service for Older People

·  Farha Abbas, Public Health Knowledge and Intelligence Analyst

Farha used a PowerPoint presentation which set out the percentage number of population aged over 65 and projections to 2030. It also included statistics relating to hospital admissions for injuries due to falls in the over 65's and the trend over the four years to 2013/14, including mortality rates. Details of ambulance call-outs for falls among over 65's were also included. A copy of the presentation is appended to these minutes.

The Committee was assured that the Council was working to identify the care homes from where the highest number of calls had been made, however data sharing arrangements were not in place to allow a full understanding of the issues to enable the targeting of appropriate interventions. It was explained that sometimes staffing levels, especially at night when sometimes just one member of staff would be present, were such that a resident could not be safely lifted. Data provided by NWAS did not include the time of day calls had been made.

The report set out the varying arrangements for addressing falls within private care homes in different areas of the County.

The Committee was informed that the County Council currently had 17 homes for older people across Lancashire and that there was a consistent approach, including a pre-admission assessment with each individual to determine the risk of falling. This was followed, on admission, by a specific falls risk assessment which included considerations such as medication, and whether the patient was unstable or suffering dementia. Monthly risk assessments were carried out with every resident thereafter. All care staff received full training in moving and handling, and in the use of specific lifting equipment. There was a 'Falls Champion' and an increasing use of technology such as pressure mats which activated an alert to staff if a resident got out of bed. A minimum of two staff were on duty at night, with a senior officer sleeping-in.

Members of the Committee were invited to comment and raise questions and a summary of the discussion is set out below:

·  In response to a question about the source of the predicted figures for falls  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

On 11 May the Steering Group had met to finalise the work plan and discuss a range of current and outstanding issues. A summary of the meeting was at Appendix A to the report now presented.

Resolved: That the report 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.

Resolved: That the work plan 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.

No urgent business was reported.

The next meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 1 September at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Tuesday 1 September 2015 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.