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1 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Authority's (HIOWHA) proposed seminar

1.1 Members will recall that at the last meeting the Committee welcomed a proposal of the HIOWHA to host a seminar in the summer marking, and facilitating, the handing of responsibilities, expertise and knowledge from the Community Health Councils to the 4 local authorities' overview and scrutiny committees and, when established, to Patient and Public Involvement Forums.

1.2 Arrangements are being made for the seminar to take place in June/July and an invitation to attend will be sent to all Members of this Committee by the HIOWHA.

2 Seminar with district councils and other partners to review progress of health review and scrutiny

2.1 At a meeting of the Association of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Authorities (HIOWLA) on 29 November 2002, the Leader of the County Council undertook to arrange a seminar to review progress in undertaking health reviews, and arrangements for those reviews. A particular concern of HIOWLA was that arrangements should be made between the 4 authorities with health scrutiny powers to ensure an effective and efficient use of those powers which avoided over-burdening NHS bodies. HIOWLA was also concerned that arrangements should recognise and respect developing arrangements between individual District Councils and Primary Care Trusts.

2.2 It was expected at the time that Government guidance on local authority scrutiny of health would be published before the end of 2002 giving a clear framework for review to be got underway. In the event, the Department of Health guidance has only just been published.

2.3 This meeting of the Committee is considering a proposal to commence its first review. The other 3 authorities have not commenced a review and are considering arrangements. The major issue of shared concern between the four authorities is HealthFit, and a separate report makes proposals for joint working on that issue.

2.4 In those circumstances, the Committee may conclude that a seminar at the present time would not satisfy the intention of allowing a review of arrangements, because those arrangements remain to be fully defined and put in place and it is too soon to reach conclusions about effectiveness. It would be possible for a report to be made to HIOWLA to update all authorities on progress by the 4 authorities in establishing arrangements, commencing reviews and developing arrangements for joint working (including with district councils).

Recommendations

1. That arrangements for a seminar with partner organisations, and particularly district councils, to review arrangements and progress of reviews be deferred until the 4 authorities with health scrutiny powers have established arrangements, including arrangements for joint working, and have commenced or completed scrutiny or review exercises.

2. That a report to the Association of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Authorities (HIOWLA) sets out progress by the 4 authorities.