Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

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

Contact: Paula Everitt  0300 300 4196

Items
No. Item

91.

Members' Interests

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

Minutes:

 

None.

 

92.

Chairman's Announcements and Communications

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

Minutes:

 

None.

 

93.

Petitions

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Part 4G of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

94.

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 Part 4G of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

95.

Executive Members' Update

 

To receive a brief verbal update from:-

·         Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Housing Operations (HRA)

·         Executive Member for Health and

·         Executive Member for Assets

 

Minutes:

 

The Executive Member for Assets advised that land at Chase Farm, Arlesey had been sold and would be developed to provide a housing development to include affordable housing and extra care facility and much more.  The proposed development at Houghton Regis Central had been put out to tender and in answer to a question regarding the Council’s Development Company, The Exec Member advised progress was being made and the experience of other Councils with a development company had been sought.

 

In response to a question regarding health inequalities, the Executive Member for Health would provide a written response.

 

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Housing Delivery referred to pressures being experience in the Contact Centre due to the high turnover of staff in this team.  A new initiative to retain staff was planned.

 

96.

Call-In

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to this Committee for review in accordance with Part 4D of the Constitution. 

Minutes:

 

None.

 

97.

Requested Items

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member in accordance with Part 4D of the Constitution.

Minutes:

 

None.

 

98.

Phlebotomy Outpatient Services Proposals pdf icon PDF 398 KB

 

To consider and comment on the proposals to move Phlebotomy services from the Luton and Dunstable Outpatient Service based at the Hospital to the centre of Luton and the implications for Central Bedfordshire residents. 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Luton and Dunstable Hospital introduced a report that set out the proposals to move the Phlebotomy Service, Sexual Health and Dermatology Services from the Hospital to a new facility in Luton Arndale Centre.  It was considered these services would function well off site and gave the Hospital opportunity to reorganise the vacant space available to it. The Hospital had listened to complaints from patients about the lack of parking and long waiting times.  At the new site, it was possible to book an appointment as well as provide a walk-in service.  Members discussed the following in summary:-

 

 

·         If there was an opportunity to extend current phlebotomy clinic times in order to accommodate residents that commute, the CEO advised he would look into the feasibility of this request.

·         Concern that not all GPs provided a phlebotomy service and in turn this would cause some residents to travel to Luton from rural areas in Central Bedfordshire.  In response, the Director of Commissioning, BCCG, advised the long-term vision was to see GPs providing phlebotomy service in a locality hub setting.  In the interim, more surgeries were working together to provide a service locally. 

·         In response to residents’ potential fear for personal safety in the Luton Arndale area, the CEO advised he would raise this concern with Luton Council and monitor the situation closely.

 

RECOMMENDED the Committee:-

1.    Reminds health providers that the Scrutiny Committee has a role to play in the initial stage of any proposed changes to health services in their local area.

2.    Understands the need to have a better environment to discharge the services and improve them.

3.    Expects the provider, when making changes to the provision of services, to take full account of the needs of Central Bedfordshire residents, including transport concerns and increased journey times, especially for those living to the west and north west of Dunstable.

4.    Suggests the need to monitor opening times for the phlebotomy service and consider earlier morning, late afternoon and early evening appointments.

5.    While recognising the role of GP's in the health service, suggests that, either alone or in partnership, providing a phlebotomy service should be seen as an essential part of a primary health service

Requests an update for the 28 January 2019 meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

99.

Proposals for Urgent Care Provision in Bedfordshire pdf icon PDF 83 KB

 

To consider and comment on Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s proposals on urgent care provision in Bedfordshire and the implications for Central Bedfordshire residents.

 

Minutes:

 

The Director of Commissioning, BCCG, introduced a report that outlined the proposals for an Urgent Treatment Centre based on the Bedford Hospital South Wing site in line with NHS England’s Five Year Forward View.   The Service would be provided by a GP-led service and would be available 12 hours a day. Appointments would be available through the 111 service and a walk-in service would also be in operation with a maximum wait of 4 hours.  

Modifications to the urgent care model would affect current services at the Putnoe Walk-in Centre which was under review pending a public consultation, the contract for which ended in September 2018.

Members welcomed the proposals and the additional facilities that would help care for residents in the West Mid Beds area and reduce numbers attending A&E.  However, it was paramount that services be communicated to residents, including extended hours, extended access and services available at Hubs.  In response the Locality Chairman and Communications Manager BCCG, advised an education campaign was planned for residents and GPs would provide guidance via their websites, through leaflet material and other methods available at surgeries.  Healthwatch would promote the new services through its usual advisory channels. 

RECOMMENDED The Committee: -

1.    Looks forward to seeing a successful urgent treatment centre on the Bedford Hospital site which will be accessible by Central Bedfordshire residents.

2.    Looks to see a successful urgent treatment centre integrated with the local urgent care service.

3.    Expects an assurance that the new patient pathways, as well as the current NHS 111 service, are clearly communicated to the public, GPs and other stakeholders.

4.    Requests an update for the Scrutiny meeting on 26 November 2018.

 

100.

Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy pdf icon PDF 90 KB

 

To consider and comment on the draft Transitional Accommodation Placement Policy, which outlines the proposed Council approach to placing homelessness households into Transitional Accommodation.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Housing Solutions introduced the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy and a presentation that highlighted the key principles.  The outcomes from the consultation policy had informed the work of officers and provided the ability to respond to people in challenging and sometimes distressing circumstances in a consistent way.  The Policy would also help to prioritise need when families with children, and vulnerable people, presented themselves. The policy would help provide the means to understand demand, investigate trends and prevent the need for temporary accommodation in some cases.

 

The need for a suitable supply of temporary housing was recognised and was fully supported.  The focus on prevention since April 2018 had shown a positive impact and the number of placements required had gone down.

 

The new Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy was unanimously supported by the Committee.

RECOMMENDED the Committee: -

1.    Welcomes the clarity of the draft policy while recognising the onus and pressures now placed on local authorities.

2.    Welcomes the overall support from the consultation exercise.

Sees that in offering transitional accommodation, it accepts the factors to consider at paragraph 11, while emphasising the need to consider families with young children and persons with particular health needs.

101.

Work Programme 2018/19 and Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 64 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 work programme and Executive Forward Plan.  The work programme was agreed subject to the addition of the following items: -

 

·         Citizens Advice Bureau Presentation about the services they deliver for Central Bedfordshire residents 17 September 2018

·         To receive a paper regarding Dementia for 17 September

·         Update regarding the Urgent Treatment Centre provision, 26 November 2018

·         Update regarding the Phlebotomy Service at Arndale House, Luton – 28 January 2019

 

Meeting closed 12.20 pm