Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

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

Contact: Paula Everitt  0300 300 4196

Items
No. Item

72.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 126 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 17 November 2014 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 17 November 2014, be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record. 

 

73.

Members' Interests

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

Minutes:

 

Cllr G Clarke declared an interest as a Member of her family worked for the Clinical Commissioning Group.

 

74.

Chairman's Announcements and Communications

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

Minutes:

 

The Committee were advised that the next meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be held in Bedford on Wednesday 17 December 2014.

 

75.

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.

 

76.

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.

 

77.

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.

 

78.

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.

 

79.

Executive Member Update

To receive a brief verbal update from the Executive Member for Social Care, Health and Housing.

Minutes:

 

The Executive Member for Social Care, Health and Housing updated the Committee on issues that were not included on the Agenda, these included:-

·         Visits to various care provision facilities, including the re-opened Meppershall Care Home.

·         Attendance at an awards ceremony called Best-Bar-None in Dunstable.

·         Attendance at a meeting to monitor Welfare Reforms

·         Attendance at the Housing Allocations Scheme training event for Members.

·         Attendance at the ‘Our Place’ event in Dunstable where attendees discussed gaps in services to residents.

·         A visit to the Silsoe Horticultural Centre.

·         Attendance at a Disabled-go website demonstration.  

 

Members were invited to nominate a theme or subject for the show case window in Dunstable.

 

In light of the update, the Committee discussed the following points:-

·         A request for further details on the Best-Bar-None initiative.  The Executive Member advised this was a national scheme and promoted best practice in the Licensing Trade.  Further details would be circulated to Members.

·         Further details on the ‘Our Place’ initiative be provided to the Committee and shared with Town and Parish Councils.

·         Additional information be provided to the Committee on the Disabled Go project.

 

RECOMMENDED That a report be submitted on the Welfare Reforms to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

80.

IVF Procurement of Services pdf icon PDF 265 KB

 

To consider and comment on the outcomes of the IVF procurement process.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Head of System Redesign, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) introduced the Specialist Fertility Services report that presented the outcomes of the formal consultation and the decision on the local criteria made by the BCCG Governing Body. 

 

The BCCG had taken into account the clinical evidence around the effectiveness of IVF treatment, the outcomes from the consultation, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines and costs of the service.  From January 2015 the BCCG would provide access to IVF after 3 years of unexplained infertility, offering 1 full cycle of IVF treatment for women aged 23 to 39 years.

 

In light of the report, Members raised the following:

·         The cost of fertility treatment for woman aged 40 years and over on the NHS.  The Head of System Redesign advised the figure was £3,000 plus medication costs.  A self funder in the private sector would also pay this amount.

·         What steps had been taken to inform the public of the redesign Specialist Fertility Service that would take effect from January 2015.  The Head of System Redesign advised that all couples that had been referred for treatment had been contacted as well as Focus Group representatives.  Information was available on the BCCG website and all new couples would be informed at point of referral.

 

RECOMMENDED

·         Should additional funding become available to the BCCG, the funding be awarded to the IVF Service.

·         A progress report on the implementation of the revised service be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee in 6 months time.

 

81.

Winter Pressures and Systems Resilience Plans pdf icon PDF 85 KB

 

To consider and comment on the work being taken by BCCG and partner organisations in the delivery and monitoring of the winter initiative schemes.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Director of Contracting and Performance, Bedfordshire Clinical Commission Group, introduced the Winter resilience planning report that set out the activities to support Bedford Hospital and positively impact upon patient care and quality of services over the winter months.

 

The Director of Contacting and Performance advised that funding was split into three main areas and highlighted the risks that included pressures on:-

·         A&E performance

·         Pressures on the Mental Health Liaison teams and

·         Ambulance Trust handover of patients.

 

The BCCG had been in discussions with SEPT to agree additional support to Mental Health Liaison teams. With regards to the Ambulance Trust handover times, Bedford Hospital had performed well against the national target of 30 minutes.  A Handover Ambulance Liaison Officer (HALO) had been appointed at the Hospital and had ensured patients waits had been kept to a minimum.

 

The report focussed on Bedford Hospital and it was recognised that a number of other local hospitals were of equal interest to the Committee and residents of Central Bedfordshire.  The Director of Contracting and Performance agreed to provide additional information to be circulated with the minutes of the meeting.

 

In light of the update, Members discussed the following points:-

·         What communications methods were being used to ensure A&E was the last port of call for residents.  The Director of Contracting and Performance advised a campaign called “Is A&E for me” had been promoted, however, the message needed to be continually promoted to lower the numbers attending A&E.

·         What steps had been taken to ensure the services required by patients with long term conditions would be open and available and would resolved the need for them to attend A&E. The Director of Contacting and Performance advised that GP’s reviewed care plans to ensure patients received the care they needed at the right time. 

·         Concern that negative media reports continued to appear in the press about A&E, 111 and GP services and what steps had been taken to ensure the excellent services were highlighted.  The Director advised the 111 service was now run by GP’s and users surveyed had indicated this was now an excellent service for patients.  The BCCG endeavoured to promote positive news stories wherever possible.

 

RECOMMENDED The Committee would be provided with additional Information:-

·         What impact of the Air Ambulance Service had on services

·         Resilience of staffing in A&E

·         A further report on the outcomes of the Winter Resilience Plans and lessons learnt.

·         A report on the Mental Health Service commissioning concerns.

·         A report on services for residents with long term conditions.

 

Councillor Duckett left the meeting.

 

82.

Commissioning Care Closer to Home pdf icon PDF 101 KB

 

Consider and comment on the work commissioning principles BCCG will adopt in light of the feedback received from the Healthcare Review, for discussion with stakeholders.

 

Minutes:

 

The Director of Contracting and Performance, Bedfordshire CCG introduced the Commissioning Care Closer to Home report that set out the commissioning principles to be adopted in the light of feedback from stakeholders received during the Healthcare Review.  

 

The BCCG would ensure future commissioning would be based on an ‘outcomes approach’ and had looked at the ways in which they procured services including the ‘most capable provider assessment’ model used in Oxfordshire.  A Programme Manager had been appointed to work on the recommissioning of community services and set up an alliance contract to run some services.

 

In light of the updated, Members discussed the following points.

·         Support for the contract/commission lead outcomes approach.

·         Assurance that all stakeholders supported a local alliance contract approach.  The Director of Social Care Health and Housing confirmed her support for important change in commissioning.

 

RECOMMENDED the BCCG provide a progress report to the March meeting on progress in Commissioning Care Closer to Home.

 

83.

Better Care Fund Plan update

 

To receive an update on the Better Care Fund position.

 

Minutes:

 

The Director of Social Care Health and Housing advised the Central Bedfordshire Better Care Plan had been approved subject to condition 4c that required additional information on analytical risk.  This additional data had been submitted and approval for the plan was awaited.

 

Noted the update.

 

84.

Customer Feedback - Complaints, Compliments Annual Report pdf icon PDF 101 KB

 

To receive an annual report regarding customer feedback in relation to the Social Care, Health and Housing Directorate.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Assistant Director Resources introduced the Customer feedback annual report and explained the Directorate wished to improve their services and used complaints and compliments as a gauge for good and poor service delivery.  Additional training had been provided for internal and external staff on effective communications following a number of complaints from services users.  The Director of Social Care Health and Housing valued the complaints received and would encourage more service users to complain if they had concerns with any aspects the service they received.

 

NOTED the report

 

85.

Quarter 2 2014-2015 Budget Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 491 KB

 

To consider and comment on the Quarter 2 Budget Monitoring Report.

 

Minutes:

 

The Committee was provided with a presentation that highlighted the key points in relation to the Q2 2014-15 revenue outturn for 2014/15.  The attention of the Committee was drawn to a forecast outturn of £65.2m resulting in a forecast £2.3m overspend.  The Assistant Director Resources also advised that the capital forecast showed a gross spend of £6.6m against a budget of £8.2m and outlined the reasons for the underspend.  The Housing Revenue Account capital expenditure forecast of £16.7m, also showed an underspend of £1.4m against budget.

 

The Public Health forecast position for 2014/15 showed a balanced budget at the end of the Q2.

 

In light of the presentation a Member raised concerns regarding residential nursing and the need to ensure no permanent admissions are made from hospital to care homes.  In response the Director of Social Care Health and Housing advised the Care Act would ensure good advice would be available at the right time.  The care homes now back in Council management from BUPA resolved the need to block book beds and the Managing Accommodation Needs for Older People team in partnership with the Planners were working together to provide new residential care homes in the right place

 

NOTED the presentation.

 

86.

Work Programme 2014/15 & Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 89 KB

 

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

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Committee considered the current draft work programme.

 

RECOMMENDED that the work programme be approved subject to the additional items details in the Minutes above.