Health Scrutiny Panel – 23 November 2018

Chairman:   Cllr Mumby-Croft
Venue: Function Room 2, Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe
Time: 110 a.m.
E-mail Address: dean.gillon@northlincs.gov.uk

AGENDA

1.  Substitutions.
2.  Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and personal or personal and prejudicial interests and declarations of whipping arrangements (if any).
3.  Public speaking request (if any).
4.  Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust – Discharge Summary Letters.

4.1  Discussion and questions with the Chief Executive and senior representatives from the Trust
4.2  Next stages (if any).

5.       Added item (if any).
6.       Any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent by reason of special circumstances which must be specified.

MINUTES

PRESENT:-   Councillor Mumby-Croft in the Chair.

Councillors Armiger, O’Sullivan, C Sherwood, and Wilson.

The panel met at the Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe.

493     DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AND DECLARATIONS OF WHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS (IF ANY) – Cllr O’Sullivan and Cllr Wilson declared personal interests as Lead Governor at Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust.

No whip was declared.

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

495     NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE & GOOLE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – DISCHARGE SUMMARIES – The Chairman welcomed Dr Peter Reading, Chief Executive, Dr Kate Wood, Acting Medical Director, Alistair Brooks, Associate Director of Web V, Commercial Services & Development, and Matthew Bovingdon, Head of Web V, Operations & Product Manager, to the meeting. The Trust representatives had been invited to discuss a recent incident where a number of discharge summary letters had not been sent to patients’ GPs, and to describe the steps that the Trust had taken to address this error.

The Chairman invited Dr Wood to give a short presentation, covering how the incident had occurred, how it had come to light, the remedial steps that the Trust had taken to review the situation, and the measures that had been implemented to prevent a re-occurrence. Throughout the presentation, members asked questions, including on topics such as financial costs, number of patients, the contents and language of follow-up letters, and how routine administration tasks are handled.

Dr Wood then led an update on a recent issue regarding non-receipt of cervical screening findings. An overview was given to the panel, along with a description of the steps taken to address the issue. Again, members asked relevant questions, including a discussion on reputational damage, remedial actions, Serious Incident reporting, and risk management of utilising external organisations.

Resolved – (a) That Dr Reading, Dr Wood, Alistair Brooks, and Matthew Bovington, be thanked for their attendance and for providing answers to members’ questions; (b) that further supportive information be provided to the panel in due course, and (c) that the situation be noted.

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