Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Paul Swansborough.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests, and any Party Whip.

There were no declarations of interest nor of any party whip.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd June 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive a presentation on the subject of the Worcestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan from the Director of Strategy and Business from the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.

(Presentation to follow)

The Committee received a presentation (copy of presentation slides attached for information at Appendix 1) on the subject of the Worcestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) from Susan Harris, Director of Strategy and Business for the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and Sarah Smith, Director of Strategy, Planning and Improvement for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Ms Harris and Ms Smith thanked Members for the opportunity to explain what the STP was and what it was hoping to achieve; it’s development process and timeline and provided information on early priorities and how early engagement would be sought on the Plan.   The general concept of the plan was outlined, the primary aim being to bring the different Service strands within the system together and to develop a more collective and cohesive five year forward plan.

Members were provided with information and clarification on queries in relation to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP in terms of:

·         The geography and population of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

·         The various service providers for the area in terms of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS Trusts, Primary Care providers, Worcestershire County and Herefordshire Councils.

·         The three aims of the STP relating to health and wellbeing, care and quality and finance and efficiency.

·         The importance of the STP in terms of accessing the Sustainable and Transformation Fund which a significant proportion of the additional money coming into the NHS is derived from.

·         The five transformation priorities in terms of:

Ø  maximising efficiency and effectiveness

Ø  reshaping the approach to prevention

Ø  developing an integrated out of hospital care model

Ø  establishing sustainable secondary care services

Ø  developing the right workforce.

·         The scope of STP work streams for both Herefordshire and Worcestershire in terms of County based projects, the shared approach and learning and reviews of single teams across the whole of the STP footprint were also highlighted, together with the strategic considerations of the STP in terms of:

Ø  the structure and organisation of the commissioning functions

Ø  the number of hospital beds needed in the system

Ø  the role of community hospitals

Ø  investment in primary care, community services and mental health

Ø  organisation of the contracting approach to support financial and clinical sustainability of providers.

In regard to communication and engagement, Members were advised that consultation work would be carried out over the summer months to seek the  views of organisations and stakeholders on shaping service provision with the aim of submitting the plan at the end of September.  Various specific issues were also highlighted by Committee Members during the discussion that Ms Harris and Ms Smith responded to, including:

·         The ongoing issues for the residents of Redditch and its neighbouring districts in regard to the movement of crucial services from the Alexandra Hospital. 

·         Collective team approaches to provide support and continuity for people with chronic or complex conditions / mental health issues.

·         Recruitment and retention of Doctors and Nurses. 

·         Links to schools to promote careers in the NHS.

·         Transport difficulties for staff and patients.

·         Difficulties  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider the Worcestershire Joint Increasing Physical Activities Task Group’s final report and to determine whether to refer the recommendations detailed in the report for the consideration of the Executive Committee.

(Report attached)

In the absence of Councillor Prosser, who had sent his apologies for the meeting, the Committee was informed that the Worcestershire Joint Increasing Physical Activities Task Group’s final report had been considered by the County Council’s Cabinet, where the majority of the Task Group’s recommendations had been accepted.  Members noted that Recommendation 7, relating to the use of a proportion of Divisional funds for encouraging participation in physical activities had been turned down by the Cabinet as they had not considered it appropriate to tell County Councillors how they should spend their divisional funds.   

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

To consider any draft scoping documents that have been submitted for the consideration of the committee and to determine whether to launch the proposed reviews.

Completed scoping documents have been submitted on the following subjects (these have been listed in the order in which they were received):

a)        Protecting Redditch’s Heritage Assets – proposed by Councillor Tom Baker-Price.

b)        Mental Health Services – Proposed by Councillor Nina Wood-Ford.

(Covering reports and scoping documents attached)

Proposals were considered for a Short, Sharp Review on the subject of Protecting Redditch’s Heritage Assets and a Task Group Review on the subject of Mental Health Services for Young People, as detailed in the scoping documents attached to the two covering reports.

Councillor Baker-Price presented the Protecting Redditch’s Heritage Assets scoping document.  He advised the Committee, however, that he considered the Mental Health Services review should be given a higher priority and launched as soon as possible.  He was therefore happy for the proposed Protecting Redditch’s Heritage Assets review to be deferred.

Members were advised that they could, if they wished, still agree to launch both of the proposed reviews with the Protecting Heritage Assets review to take place once the Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group had been completed.  Councillor Wood-Ford commented that she anticipated the Task Group Review would take approximately nine months. Members were also reminded of the two Working Groups and that the potential workload for them had yet to be established. 

RESOLVED that

1)    the Mental Health Services For Young People Task Group be launched as proposed in the Scoping document;

2)    Councillor Nina Wood-Ford be appointed Chair of the Task Group; and

3)    the Protecting Redditch’s Heritage Assets Short, Sharp Review be launched at a future date, following the completion of the Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group Review.

To confirm the membership of the following Working Groups:

a)        Budget Scrutiny Working Group; and

b)        Performance Scrutiny Working Group.

(Verbal report)

The Committee discussed the membership for the Budget Scrutiny and Performance Scrutiny Working Groups.  Officers advised that the dates for the first meetings of the Groups would be progressed.  

RESOLVED that

1)            in respect of the Budget Scrutiny Working Group, the following Member appointments be agreed:

Councillor Jane Potter (Chair)

Councillor Matt Dormer

Councillor David Thain

Councillor Jenny Wheeler; and

2)            in respect of the Performance Scrutiny Working Group, the following Member appointments be agreed:

Councillor Tom Baker-Price (Chair)

Councillor Natalie Brookes

Councillor Matt Dormer

Councillor David Thain.

To consider the minutes of the latest meeting(s) of the Executive Committee and also to consider whether any items on the Executive Committee’s Work Programme are suitable for scrutiny.

(Executive Committee’s Work Programme attached).

Officers reported that there were no issues in relation to Overview and Scrutiny within the minutes.  In terms of the Executive Committee Work Programme, Members noted that some of the items listed would be considered by the Working Groups. 

RESOLVED that

the Executive Committee Minutes of the 7^th June 2016 together with the latest edition of the Executive Committee’s Work Programme be noted.

Officers provided three updates in respect of the Committee’s Work Programme.

Members noted that the Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities presentation would be presented by a representative of Jobcentre Plus at the 25^th October meeting.  Officers agreed to issue an open invitation to all Members to attend for the presentation.

Members were also reminded that the meeting due to be held on the 6^th September had been postponed until the 12^th September.

An update was provided in regard to the LGBT Review with Members noting that Councillor Baker had submitted a motion to be considered at the County Council’s Council meeting in July with a recommendation that the County Council consider taking part in the Stonewall Equality Index and encourage schools to look at the Birmingham LGBT Toolkit. 

Councillor Wood-Ford, the Council’s representative on the Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), reported on discussions that had taken place at the last meeting of the Committee when Members had been informed on various reductions in Public Health budgets following Government announcements on future funding, with cuts and reviews planned or being considered for areas including:

·         Drug and Alcohol Services

·         Domestic Abuse Services

·         Supported advice and information

·         Support for Advocacy

·         Sexual Health Services

·         Smoking cessation (discontinued except for pregnant women)

·         Health improvement projects

·         Child Development Services

·         0 – 19 Services – reduction in public health nursing

·         Public Health team

·         Mental Health Care

Councillor Wood-Ford further reported that other matters, including the future of acute services in Worcestershire had been raised and discussed during the course of the meeting.