Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Cabinet Room 'C' - The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston

Contact: Gary Halsall  Email:  gary.halsall@lancashire.gov.uk, Tel: 01772 536989

Media

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of District Councillors Julie Robinson (Wyre Borough Council) and Shirley Green (Fylde Borough Council).

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest at this time.

3.

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 10th January 2017 pdf icon PDF 93 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: Minutes from the meeting held on 10 January 2017 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

4.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust - update on the revised Chorley Hospital Emergency Department and Urgent Care Centre Provision pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Jan Ledward gave a presentation on both the Urgent Care Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital site and the mobilisation of the Integrated Urgent Care Services at Chorley and Preston Hospitals.

 

It was reported that the Greater Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) along with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust had submitted a joint bid in August 2015, to the National Urgent and Emergency Care Fund (NUECF) for some capital in order to redevelop the Royal Preston Hospital's Emergency Department and Urgent Care Centre as the current facilities were unsatisfactory and unable to accommodate the amount of activity going through the departments.

 

A joint bid was also submitted for primary care capital through the Estates Technology and Transformation Fund (ETTF) as the development work would also consist of a primary care front-end to the overall A&E department. As this was considered to be a unique submission, NHS England's Project Assessment Unit (PAU) had reported that there was no formal route to release the monies to the CCGs. It was hoped that this particular issue would be resolved when the CCGs met with NHS England during the week commencing 27 February 2017.

 

With regard to the NUECF, the Committee was informed that the funding 'envelope' for the North had reduced to £12m and that £3m would be ring-fenced for each region within the North. However, in January 2017, NHS England had advised that due to timing issues, they were unable to administer the NUECF funding as they felt the new facilities would not have been completed by the end of the current financial year. The funding was then withdrawn and all CCGs were required to submit another bid in the next financial year (2017/18).

 

Members of the Committee were invited to comment and raise questions on the Urgent Care Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital site and a summary of the discussion is set out below:

 

·  Concerns were expressed in relation to the bid for funding through the NUECF had been deferred to the next financial year in conjunction with recruitment issues faced by the Trust and the current working environment. It was reported that there was no guarantee the funding would be agreed for the 2017/18 year.

·  A question was asked in relation to the purpose of the proposed primary care front-end. It was confirmed that the facility would provide a range of services not only to identify and intervene those presenting at the Emergency /Urgent Care Centre departments who had a primary care need but to also support the overall A&E department in treating and discharging patients.

·  It was suggested that NHS England be invited to attend a future meeting of the Committee.

 

An update on the mobilisation of the Integrated Urgent Care Services at Chorley and Preston Hospitals was then provided.

 

It was reported that there were four elements to the contract awarded to GTD Healthcare. Phase one commenced on 23 November 2016 and saw the roll out of a GP out of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Healthwatch Lancashire - Annual Review pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Sheralee Turner-Birchall provided the Committee with a presentation on the work Healthwatch Lancashire had carried out since April 2016. Healthwatch consisted of 12 (9.8 full time equivalent) posts supported by a team of 55 volunteers undertaking 184 different activities. It was explained that the programme of work included a variety of statutory responsibilities and additional tasks such as Enter and View visits, Patient Engagement Days, community engagement through Care Circles and Pop Ups, mystery shopping, gathering of case studies, campaigns and projects. In addition Healthwatch also undertook commissioned work whilst maintaining impartiality by adhering to their statutory responsibilities. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Healthwatch took ownership of their reports and did not sensor any of the information presented.

 

All of Healthwatch's activities were supported by online activities including social media networks, e-bulletins, quarterly newsletters and the annual report. It was reported that around six thousand people had signed up to receive information from Healthwatch.

 

The Committee was informed that Healthwatch was undertaking a programme of work in understanding the complexity of Lancashire Care Foundation Trust's role for Mental Health and the delivery of other community services. In addition to this Healthwatch was near to completion on a piece of work relating to pharmacies. It was noted that people perceived the pharmacy as a shop or business rather than an alternative provider to primary care on certain matters.

 

A piece of work was also undertaken during recent GP Patient Engagement Days in relation to accessing services online, such as medical records. The Committee was informed that Healthwatch had identified from the majority of people they had spoken to expressed a reluctance to access such services online.

 

It was highlighted that Healthwatch was not a complaints or advocacy service and whilst people still approached Healthwatch to lodge complaints, intelligence would be gathered and used accordingly. Assurance was given that where there was a duty of care or safeguarding issue then Healthwatch would alert the relevant body to act. Otherwise individuals would be signposted to the appropriate service.

 

As of 1 January 2017, Healthwatch Lancashire had taken over the Healthwatch Blackpool contract.

 

In summarising, the Committee was informed that Healthwatch needed to ensure it was helping the system to make significant improvements accordingly. However, they had no power to direct an organisation to action Healthwatch's findings. Though Healthwatch could refer matters to the Health Scrutiny Committee to act upon.

 

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

 

·  Members commended Healthwatch on the work they had done with the Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria team in drafting a public facing version of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

·  On developing the work programme for 2017/18, it was reported that Healthwatch was a conduit for the public voice and would be guided through public engagement on this but would also work with all the Local Delivery Plan (LDP) areas in Lancashire on the STP's workstreams.

·  Healthwatch had assigned a member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Health and Wellbeing Board - Annual Review

Presentation by: Clare Platt, Head of Service Health, Equity and Welfare Partnerships and Sakthi Karunanithi, Director Public Health and Wellbeing.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Health and Wellbeing Board – Annual Review presentation be deferred until the next scheduled meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee on 11 April 2017.

7.

Report of the Health Scrutiny Committee Steering Group pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Minutes:

It was reported that a review of how information from the Health Scrutiny Committee's Steering Group was provided to this Committee had been undertaken in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair of this Committee. It was proposed that all future agendas and minutes published for the Steering Group be issued to the full membership of the Health Scrutiny Committee by automated email. Each email would contain a link to the specific agenda and minutes on the County Council's website. The Committee noted that that Steering Group meetings were not held in public and that each County Councillor would be required to use their standard County Council login credentials issued to them. However, for all Co-opted members their login credential would be their district council email address or preferred email address they had registered with the County Council in becoming a Co-opted member of this Committee. A temporary password would be issued to all Co-opted Members through separate correspondence from Democratic Services.

 

The Committee also noted that the work plan, presented to this Committee at each meeting already provided a brief outline on the activities of the Steering Group.

 

Resolved: That the proposed mechanism to receive all future agenda and minutes of the Health Scrutiny Committee Steering Group be received by email be accepted.

 

8.

Health Scrutiny Committee Work Plan 2016/17 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The work plan for both the Health Scrutiny Committee and its Steering Group, including current Task Group reviews was presented to the Committee for information. The Committee noted that the Health and Wellbeing Board – Annual Review item would be deferred to the next scheduled meeting of the Committee on 11th April 2017.

 

Resolved: That subject to the above change to the work plan, the report be noted.

 

9.

Urgent Business

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.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

10.

Date of Next Meeting

The next scheduled meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

The next meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 11 April 2017 at 10.30am in Cabinet Room C – The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.