Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Room M72, Seventh Floor, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: Amanda Thompson, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4651, E-mail: amanda.thompson@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR At the meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 7th June 2011, Councillor Rachael Saunders was appointed Chair of the Health Scrutiny Panel for the Municipal Year 2011/2012.
However, it is necessary to elect a Vice-Chair of the Health Scrutiny Panel for the Municipal Year 2011/2012. Minutes: The Chair invited nominations for the position of Vice-Chair of the Panel for the Municipal Year 2011/2012. Councillor Lesley Pavitt proposed Councillor Denise Jones and, there being no further nominations, the Panel RESOLVED:
That Councillor Denise Jones be elected Vice-Chair of the Health Scrutiny Panel for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2011/2012.
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: There were no apologies for absence.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PDF 48 KB To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.
Minutes: There were no declarations of interest.
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UNRESTRICTED MINUTES PDF 90 KB To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the ordinary meeting of Health Scrutiny Panel held on 19th April 2011. Minutes: RESOLVED
That the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 19 April 2011 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
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REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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Health Sector Horizon Scanning: The Perspective of NHS East London and the City, Tower Hamlets GP Consortium and Tower Hamlets Involvement Network To receive presentations from key stakeholders.
Minutes: Ms J. Milligan (NHS East London & City/Tower Hamlets PCT) and Mr A. Camp (Vice-Chair, East London & City PCT) made a presentation detailing the changes in the NHS structure locally, including the position regarding Primary Care Trust arrangements and the Commissioning Service. PCTs would be abolished in April 2013 and information was supplied to the Panel concerning proposals for future service delivery and efficiency savings. Health Service staff were eager to engage with Council personnel so as to achieve the best possible results. It was important to ensure that a Joint Improvement Wellbeing Strategy was put in place, along with a Joint Borough Plan, to make sure that networking principles were observed and care was delivered in the right place and at the right time.
The presentation then focussed on the following points for Public Health Priorities:
Public Health Transition
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
Tackling Inequalities in Health
Reducing Premature Morbidity and Mortality
Supporting Behaviour Change and Healthy Lives
Health Protection and Emergency Planning
Dr Sam Etherington, a local GP and Chair of the Tower Hamlets NHS Consortium, described the evolutionary approach being taken by the GP Board, comprising eight GPs elected from the eight local LAP areas, to look at integration with the London Hospital and best use of resources. He made the point, however, that despite high levels of commitment by professionals, the health of Tower Hamlets residents could be poor from an early age. A paper was also circulated setting out the local issues contributing to health inequalities compared to the rest of the country.
Ms Dianne Barham, THINk Director, also circulated a paper and made a presentation demonstrating how the organisation engaged with the community and analysed feedback of their comments. She outlined the powers of THINk to require responses to recommendations made to health providers, together with further action open to the organisation. She then provided detailed information concerning the current numbers of THINk representatives, together with statistical information on the requests for information made and recommendations provided, arising from visits undertaken to health and social care providers’ premises.
Ms Barham then described how THINk members engaged with GPs, including the piloting of a project in LAP6 to get people actively engaged with commissioners, aimed at establishing service scrutiny at a very local level. She further outlined the THINk work programme and Local Health Watch activities that would help review older people’s services across health care, looking at obtaining pathfinder status with an independent complaints and arbitration service.
The Chair commented that, whilst this was the first meeting of the Panel for the year, she felt that a great start had been made ... view the full minutes text for item 5.1 |
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To receive presentations from key stakeholders.
Minutes: Ms D. Cohen, Service Head Commissioning and Strategy, introduced the report setting out proposals for the development of the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) in Tower Hamlets, in line with changes proposed by the NHS White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ and the accompanying consultation paper ‘Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health’. She added that the circulated report had been considered by the Mayor’s Advisory Board and it was intended to hold a preliminary working meeting in July, with the first HWBB meeting in September.
In order to remove overlap in the work of the HWBB and the Healthy Communities Community Plan Delivery Group (CPDG), it was proposed that the latter group be stood down and its role and remit be handed to the HWBB.
Membership of the HWBB was very fluid at present and details were set out in the report.
The Chair expressed the view that the Health Scrutiny Panel should be represented on the HWBB either by its Chair and Vice-Chair, or they should have speaking rights. Members stressed the need for the Health Scrutiny Panel to have a proper representation and impact in connection with the HWBB, to strengthen the scrutiny process.
Mr C. Lovitt, NHS Tower Hamlets, addressed the meeting from the public health viewpoint and indicated that many such functions were to be transferred out of the NHS by 2013 and the transfer of related budgets would need much discussion, with particular reference to ensuring there was no decrease in quality of service. He referred further to the circulated document outlining health inequalities in Tower Hamlets, where high levels of mental health, diabetes and cancer were prevalent and still presented substantial challenges.
The Chair commented that she would be happy to receive public health representatives for further discussions, possibly at the Panel meeting in October 2011. It would be necessary to have Member-level talks to address how the new responsibilities could be properly taken forward, especially in terms of conditions of service and accountability.
The report was noted, with the above comments.
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ANY OTHER BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT Minutes: 6.1 Work Programme
Following a debate on suitable topics for consideration during the coming year, the following were proposed for future meetings of the Panel:
· Whipps Cross Hospital – possibly 26 July 2011 · Care Quality Commission – possibly 26 July 2011 · Further discussion on NHS/PCT mergers and structure of likely finance cuts, with briefing paper – possibly 26 July 2011 · Development of Social Care and how to engage the public/solicit opinions of service user groups · Challenge Session on Mental Health Strategy · Health Re-housing Strategy · Challenge Session on Royal London Hospital Outpatient Appointments System · Royal London Hospital move into new premises and how this may be managed on the basis of local community requirements. · Public Health Perspective and feedback from service user groups – possibly 18 October 2011 · Sexual Health/HIV/Teenage Pregnancy issues – possibly 24 January 2012
The Chair referred to the desirability of additional Co-opted Members from current NHS bodies and asked that Dr A. Livingstone be provided with details of future Panel meetings. She extended thanks to all who had attended and declared the meeting closed.
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