Health Scrutiny Panel – 18 December 2012

PRESENT:  Councillor Mrs Bromby in the chair.

Councillors Barker (Vice-Chair), Armitage, Eckhardt, and Ogg.

Councillor Whiteley attended the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 1.36 (b).

The panel met at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe.

80  DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AND DECLARATIONS OF WHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS (IF ANY) –Councillors Bromby, Barker and Ogg declared personal interests as they had relatives working within the local NHS.

No whip was declared.

81  PUBLIC REQUESTS TO SPEAK – There were no requests received.

82  NEW ARRANGEMENTS IN THE NHS – Members received a presentation from Allison Cooke, Chief Officer (Designate), of North Lincolnshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group, on the new structures and methods of working within the NHS.  This covered national, regional and local structures and budgets. Members asked questions on a range of issues, including:

  • Links with the Health and Wellbeing Board,
  • Collaborative working between different Clinical Commissioning Groups,
  • The Authorisation Process and governance arrangements for the Clinical Commissioning Groups,
  • Commissioning plans,
  • Strategic aims and priorities,
  • The Summary Hospital-level Mortality Index,

Resolved – (a) That Allison Cooke be thanked for her presentation, and (b) that the position be noted.

83  (7)  SCRUTINY DEVELOPMENT AREA – The Chairman welcomed Cath Saltis, advisor from the Centre for Public Scrutiny to the meeting.  Cath had been working with council officers and panel members on various workstreams as part of the panel’s successful bid to become a Scrutiny Development Area.

Two documents were presented to the panel.  The first was a draft protocol between the panel and the Clinical Commissioning Group, and the second was a draft toolkit on effectively scrutinising significant service reconfigurations.  A third document, agreeing a protocol between the People and Health Scrutiny Panels and the Health and Wellbeing Board was currently under development subject to government guidance.  Members discussed the drafts.

Resolved – (a) That Cath Saltis be thanked for her input to the panel’s work in this area, (b) that the protocol between the panel and the Clinical Commissioning Group be adopted, (c) that the draft toolkit be circulated to colleagues across the country for comments, suggestions and refinement, before approaching the Centre for Public Scrutiny to host the toolkit for use by health scrutiny members and officers across the country, and (d) that the Health Scrutiny Panel, the People Scrutiny Panel, and the Health and Wellbeing Board panel receive a draft of the protocol when finalised, prior to discussion, changes and adoption.

84  ONGOING WORK – The Director of Policy and Resources updated the panel on work around continence services, mortality and health inequalities.  It was noted that the panel’s report on the strategic response to health inequalities had now been finalised and would be passed to cabinet to co-ordinate and agree a response.

Resolved – (a) That work on continence services be temporarily postponed, pending information about the timescales for engagement and consultation around the Sustainable Services review, and (b) that the panel be keep involved and informed of ongoing work around mortality.

85  DEVELOPMENTS IN HEALTH – Members received a short, verbal update on developing issues relevant to the panel’s terms of reference, including children’s congenital heart services.  It was confirmed that the Joint Yorkshire and Humber Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had now referred the decision about the reconfiguration to the Secretary of State, who had subsequently passed the issue to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel for review.

Resolved – That the panel be kept informed of developments.

86  ADDED ITEM – There was no added item for consideration at the meeting.