To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cunningham, Ellis and Meader, all from Bedford Borough Council. Councillor Yasin was present as substitute for Councillor Meader.

To elect a Chairman for the remainder of the municipal year.

Councillor Sparrow, Central Bedfordshire Council, was duly elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee.

To elect a Vice-Chairman for the remainder of the municipal year.

Councillor Cunningham, Bedford Borough Council, was duly elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee.

To receive from Members any declarations and the nature thereof in relation to:-

(a)               personal interests in any agenda item

(b)               personal and prejudicial interests in any agenda item

(c)               any political whip arrangements in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest at the beginning of the meeting.

During the course of the meeting Councillor Goodchild mentioned matters in relation to her personal circumstances but indicated that these did not amount to a personal interest.

To note the statutory basis of the Joint Committee as set out in the attached report.

The Committee received a report and noted the statutory basis of the Joint Committee.

To note the composition and size of the Joint Committee as set out in the attached report.

The Committee received a report regarding the composition and size of the Joint Committee.

RESOLVED to note:-

1. that the Committee comprises four members from Bedford Borough Council and four members from Central Bedfordshire Council as the relevant Social Services authorities in the area served by the East of England Strategic Health Authority;

2. named substitutes are permitted if the nominated member is indisposed;

3. the quorum of members is set at four, representing one half of the Committee, two of whom should be from Bedford Borough Council and two from Central Bedfordshire Council.

To note the terms of reference of the Joint Committee (attached).

The Committee received and noted the Terms of Reference of the Joint Committee.

To receive and consider NHS Bedfordshire’s response to the Joint Committee’s final report (attached) and to determine whether the response is in the interests of the health service locally.

The Committee received a report of Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive of NHS Bedfordshire, providing Members with the collation, analysis and response of NHS Bedfordshire to the public consultation on its five year strategic plan, A Healthier Bedfordshire.  The report also asked for a response from the Joint Committee to the decisions taken by NHS Bedfordshire in reply to the consultation.

The Committee noted that the report summarised the process and outcomes of the 12-week public consultation together with appendices which set out the consultation questions; the report of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee; NHS Bedfordshire’s response to the Joint Committee’s recommendations; and a summary of the letters received from organisations.

Members noted that the consultation process had prompted views, comments and suggestions from 454 people.

The Committee also noted that taking into account all of the views expressed, NHS Bedfordshire would:-

1. retain the three strategic priorities that underpin A Healthier Bedfordshire;

2. refresh the Strategy in light of the responses received, the responses to the recommendations of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the need to update the financial scenarios based on the anticipated future financial situation. The final updated strategy would go back to the Strategy Committee and the NHS Bedfordshire Board in September 2009;

3. ensure that public and clinical involvement continued to inform and shape the content and implementation of the Strategy;

4. take forward the implementation of the Strategy without delay, through the A Healthier Bedfordshire Programme Board, overseen by the Strategy Committee.

The Committee considered NHS Bedfordshire’s response to each of the recommendations which the Committee had made in its report. The report was attached as an appendix. Overall Members welcomed the PCT’s response to the report.

The Committee was advised that a consultancy, Chaucer, had been commissioned to look critically at the financial aspects of the Strategy and also to consider carefully whether targets were sufficiently SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely).

Dianne Meddick, NHS Bedfordshire advised that considerable work had taken place on the Strategy since the Joint Committee had provided its report. She added that work with both the local authorities in the area would be ongoing. A timetable would be developed with the Overview and Scrutiny Managers of the constituent councils to ensure that each council received for consideration the refreshed strategy (in autumn 2009) and progress reports thereafter at future meetings.

The Committee considered each of the recommendations in turn and made comments on a number of them.

Recommendation 2 – the excellent response was welcomed.

Recommendation 6 – Members commented that a fair funding allocation for NHS Bedfordshire should be pursued and agreed that a recommendation should be made to the Executives of the constituent councils in relation to this matter.

Recommendation 14 - it was noted that data came from areas of varying size, sometimes postcode, ward or larger but more usually ward level. A point was made that correlation of data could be confused with cause and effect and it was noted that this had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.