Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Priory House, Monks Walk, Shefford

Contact: Paula Everitt  0300 300 4196

Items
No. Item

80.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 87 KB

 

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Social Care Health and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 23 January 2017 and to note actions taken since that meeting.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Social Care Health and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 23 January 2017 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

81.

Members' Interests

To receive from Members any declarations of interest and of any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

Minutes:

 

Cllr A Barker declared an interest as she had been an employee of the East of England Ambulance Trust Service and was supporting a friend who was a current user of East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) services.

Cllr S Goodchild also declared she was supporting a friend who was a current user of ELFT Services.

Cllr M Versallion declared an interest as a non Executive Director of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

 

82.

Chairman's Announcements and Communications

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

Minutes:

 

The Chairman wished to extend his thanks both personally and on behalf of the Committee to Maurice Jones, who had retired from the Council, for his contribution to the establishment of Central Bedfordshire and for his work more recently as Executive Member for ealth. Health. 

 

A visit to the Bromley-by-Bow Community Hub would take place on Tuesday 11 May 2017.  Members of the Committee had been invited to attend.

 

The Chairman would attend a Scrutiny Health Master Class event, also in May.

 

83.

Petitions

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

84.

Questions, Statements or Deputations

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of part A4 of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

85.

Call-In

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to this Committee for review  in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.10 of Part D2. 

Minutes:

 

None.

 

86.

Requested Items

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

87.

Executive Members Update

To receive a brief verbal update from the Executive Members for

·         Social Care, Health

·         Housing

 

Minutes:

 

The Deputy Executive Member for Adult Social Care advised:-

·         The Council had received the top Pinder Design Award for Best Independent Living Scheme at Priory View, Dunstable and an award for the Greenfields scheme in Leighton Buzzard.

·         The additional money allocated to the social care budget.  A report outlining how this money would be apportioned would be provided.

·         Attendance at the Grove Theatre for a Dementia event. Members requested a dementia workshop be arranged later in the year to include a shortened version of the film ‘Inside Out of Mind”.

·         Attendance at the Saville Seminar on how to set up a Housing Development Company.  Members welcomed the initiative and expected to receive more details at a future meeting.

 

88.

East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) - Performance Update pdf icon PDF 557 KB

 

To receive a Performance Update from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) and comments on the impact of the current service and performance on residents.

 

Minutes:

 

Sarah Boulton, Chair, EEAST advised Members of the regional picture for the Ambulance Service and advised of improvements that had been made.  The improvements had come at a cost and the EEAST had incurred a deficit in funding and had a capacity shortage.  The CQC had praised the service for its outstanding care of patients and would continue its focus on clinical triage and the new practice that involved professional advice to paramedics on treatment of patients that avoided a trip to A&E.

 

Chris Hartley, Director of Communications and Clive Goodson, Senior Locality Manager outlined performance improvements and new innovations implemented by the Ambulance Trust.  Of particular note was the success of the Mental Health Street Triage service that had prevented ambulance attendance.  The implementation of a Service Plan Review would help inform more efficient and effective operations and identify the resources required to deliver the required service.

 

Members welcomed the direction of travel and the innovations made by the East of England Ambulance Service Trust in joint working initiatives with other emergency services.

 

RECOMMENDED the Committee

1.    Appreciated the work undertaken by the EEAST.

2.    Noted that there is a current financial deficit but were reassured that paying it back will not impinge upon performance.

3.    Recognised the need to reset the targets by which time an ambulance is expected to reach the patient to take account of the nature of the emergency call.

4.    Welcomed evidence of how the triage system was saving a number of patients from a hospital admission.

 

89.

Townsend Court Houghton Regis pdf icon PDF 48 KB

 

To consider the Briefing Paper on the new care arrangements for inpatients with Mental Health issues in Bedfordshire

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

Matthew Tait, Chief Accountable Officer, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) apologised for the lack of consultation on the relocation of Mental Health patients on behalf of the BCCG and ELFT.  Patients had been moved from Keats Ward, Weller Wing, Bedford to more appropriate accommodation at Townsend Court, Houghton Regis.   Service provision for older patients had been provided at Fountains Court in Bedford for the short to medium term, until a longer term strategy had been developed by the BCCG and ELFT.

 

Members noted the changes in delivery of mental health care services had been carried out in the patients’ best interests.  ELFT had increased the number of clinical staff on wards in the past two years and assurances were given that patients with transport difficulties would be helped on a case by case basis by support staff with transport issues.  ELFT are looking at ways of funding appointed drivers to assist both staff and service users and carers with transport issues in the future.

 

Arrangements would be made for Ward Members and Members of the Committee who wished to visit the Townsend Court Houghton Regis and Fountains Court in Bedford.  The Deputy Executive Member also requested a meeting for Ward Members with ELFT officers to discuss the changes to mental health services.

 

RECOMMENDED the Committee

·         Expressed its concern about the very late communication on the intention to change the use of Townsend Court. Central Bedfordshire looks to be informed about any such changes at an early date in the future.

·         Appreciates ELFT is seeking to improve its mental health services and make good use of its estate but reiterates the fact that Central Bedfordshire has a particular concern for our residents.

·         Seeks reassurance that when considering a change of venue for people with certain conditions e.g. Alzheimers, such is taken into consideration.

·         Seeks assurance that transport issues are considered when making changes to its service provision.

·         Appreciates the offer for members to visit Townsend Court and Fountain Court and would like such visits to be arranged in the near future.

 

90.

Enquiry into Integration of Health and Social Care in Central Bedfordshire - update

 

To receive an update on work undertaken by the Enquiry Team on the Integration of Health and Social Care in Central Bedfordshire.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman updated the Committee on the work of the Enquiry Team in their investigation into the Integration of Health and Social Care in Central Bedfordshire.  A report would be submitted on Monday 15 May, 2017.

 

Noted the update.

91.

Work Programme 2016/17 and Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 59 KB

 

The report provides Members with details of the currently drafted Committee work programme and the latest Executive Forward Plan.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman advised of changes to the work programme that included the addition of the Homelessness Reduction report scheduled for June and the rescheduled date for the Enquiry Report.  The Assistant Director Public Health advised a pharmaceutical needs assessment would be undertaken and the findings of this and the Judicial Review would be submitted to the Committee later this year.

 

Noted the changes to the work programme outlined above.

92.

Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Proposal pdf icon PDF 99 KB

 

To consider and comment on proposals for a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan for Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

 

 

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Policy Adviser introduced a report that set out proposals for a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes.

 

The Committee were in favour of option 3 and supported the proposal that Central Bedfordshire Council undertake the duties of Chairman as it was the only Council without a hospital within its boundary.  Members also supported the proposal for Bedford Borough to administer the JHOSC and for the venue to be rotated for each meeting.

 

Members supported the proposal that the following definitions of a substantive change in NHS provision be included in the Terms of Reference:

1.    a change in the way the service is delivered;

2.    a change in the place the service is delivered;

3.    a change of partners and/or the way in which partners co-operate;

4.    a change in budgetary arrangements.

 

RECOMMENDED:

  • To adopt option 3 and have a JHOSC with statutory scrutiny powers
  • To promote the appointment of a Central Bedfordshire Chairman on the basis that Central Bedfordshire does not have a General Hospital within its boundary, would bring some independence to the table and has the larger population in Bedfordshire.
  • That the Chair initially be held for two years until the result of the next elections in 2019
  • That Central Bedfordshire is supportive that Bedford Borough Council is to administer arrangements.
  • That the meeting venue be rotated between the participating authorities;
  • That the definition of 'substantial change' be circulated and include the provision outlined at item 4.