AT A MEETING of the HAMPSHIRE, SOUTHAMPTON, PORTSMOUTH AND ISLE OF WIGHT HEALTH SCRUTINY JOINT COMMITTEE held at County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight on Thursday, 11 December 2003

PRESENT

1. MINUTES

The Minutes of the Health Joint Member Working Group held on 15 September 2003 were confirmed as a correct record.

Arising thereon:

(a) Minute No. 7 - Collaborative Working Prior to Formal Consultation

Following a question from Councillor Wright regarding the timing of a decision by the Health Authority on the future of Haslar Hospital, Members were advised that the development application for Queen Alexandra Hospital had been withdrawn and a more detailed application was due to be re-submitted to Portsmouth City Council in the New Year. This would result in a delay in signing up with a preferred partner. It was not yet clear if this would affect any announcement about the future of Haslar Hospital.


(b) Minute No. 8 - Progress with Constitutional Arrangements for Establishing a Joint Committee in Accordance with Regulation 4

All four authorities reported that their constitutions had now been amended to allow for the delegation of health scrutiny powers to a joint committee where more than one authority was affected by proposals to vary or develop NHS Services.

(c) Minute No. 11 - Formal Consultations Currently Underway - Isle of Wight

Councillor Stephens reported that 10% of beds had already been lost at St. Mary's Hospital, Newport and that proposals were in hand for the Health Authority to decrease the total number of beds by a third.

2. PRESS/MEDIA COVERAGE

Consideration was given to press and media coverage for the Joint Committee. It was agreed that all meetings should be open to the press and public. Hampshire offered the services of its Press Office for press and media coverage subject to any press releases being agreed by all four authorities.

RESOLVED:

That:-

(a) All meetings of the Joint Committee be open to the press and public.


(b) All press and media coverage be carried out via Hampshire's Press Office subject to any press releases being agreed by all four authorities.

3. MATERNITY SERVICES IN SOUTHEAST HAMPSHIRE

Denise Holden reported that formal consultation on the provision of maternity services in South East Hampshire was in the process of being carried out and was due to be launched in February 2004. The Health Authority had been reminded of their duty to consult all overview Scrutiny Committees concerned. It was agreed that Portsmouth, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight should establish a Joint Committee to consider the proposals. A short paper outlining the key questions for the committee to consider was circulated.

RESOLVED:
That:

(a) Portsmouth, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight establish a Joint Committee to consider proposals for maternity services in South East Hampshire, with Portsmouth taking the lead.

(b) The questions raised be put forward for consideration by the joint committee

4. FOUNDATION HOSPITALS

Denise Holden required that the Royal Bournemouth Hospital was likely to apply for foundation status in the first tranch followed closely by Southampton, Winchester and North Hampshire. There would be a consultation process for each foundation status application and she agreed to circulate details of the consultation process.

RESOLVED:

That the foundation hospital consultation process be circulated to all Members.

5. PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE (PFI)

Denise Holden reported that the PFI for Queen Alexandra Hospital had been put back following the withdrawal of the planning application. A fresh detailed planning application would be made in the New Year which would allow the PFI to continue. She also explained the PFI proposals for Lymington Hospital which had been welcomed locally.

6. HEALTHFIT

Denise Holden reported that the HealthFit document "A Strategic Framework for Future Health Services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to 2008" had been published on the internet. The local plans referred to in this document had not yet been fully developed. These had been requested from the Health Authority together with details of the involvement of local people in the planning process. The Chairman announced that Dr. Tanner from the Health Authority had offered to speak to the Committee sometime in January 2004 on the proposals contained in the document. Key questions that the authorities wished to raise with the Health Authority were requested to be sent to Denise Holden by 8 January 2004.

RESOLVED:

That arrangements be made for Dr. Tanner to speak to the Joint Committee on the proposals contained in the HealthFit document at a date and venue to be confirmed.

7. UPDATE FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Hampshire

A working group had been established to look at reprovision of in-patient services for older people with mental health problems in Eastleigh and Winchester, the hospitals concerned had been visited and a response on the proposals sent to the PCTs concerned. Formal consultation on mental health services in North East Hampshire was underway. A website on health scrutiny was being established and the first review, "The Health of our Children and Young Persons", would report formally to the Health Review Committee in January 2004. An invitation to the January 2004 Health Revioew Committee would be extended to Councillor Mrs Work.

Southampton

The Health Scrutiny Panel had just been established. The Panel would be looking at the work Community Health Councils had carried out and what would be transferred to it. The City Council had recently signed contracts with BUPA for a joint initiative to build a home to ease bed pressure and the Best Value review on the Healthy City Campaign had recently been completed.

Portsmouth

A series of training sessions to bring Members up to speed with health scrutiny had recently been carried out and Independent Sector Diagnostic and Treatment Centres were being looked at.

Isle of Wight

A number of training sessions for Members had taken place. Public meetings had been arranged on HealthFit to kick-start the consultation process and the healthcare strategy had been launched with a series of thematic meetings arranged.

8. MEETINGS 2004

The meetings for 24 March in Southampton and 8 December in Winchester were confirmed. However, it proved that the meetings arranged for 22 June in the Isle of Wight and 15 September in Portsmouth clashed with other meetings. The secretary agreed to look at alternative dates.