Archived decisions

Item 2

AT A MEETING of the HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE of the COUNTY COUNCIL held at The Castle, Winchester held at The Castle, Winchester on Tuesday, 30 January 2007.

PRESENT

Chairman:

p Councillor Dr. R.J. Ellis

Vice-Chairman:

p Councillor Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott

Councillors:

Co-opted Members:

Councillors:

a Mrs. M. Kerley

p R. Love

a P. Rees

p D. Welch

Also in attendance:

Councillor Mrs. P.G. Banks, Executive Member for Adult Social Care;

Councillor R.C. McIntosh, Chairman of the Safe and Healthy People Policy Review Committee and Dr. C. Godber at the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor David Stephen Butler, Portsmouth City Council, F. Rust, Hampshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum and Richard Samuel, Hampshire Primary Care Trust.

78. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed that they had a personal or personal prejudicial interesting any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should normally, at the time of the debate, declare their interest, and having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed.

The following members declared a personal interest:

Councillor Mrs. P. Dickens - employed by NHS

Councillor D. Harrison - employed by the NHS

Councillor D. Wright - wife a General Practice Manager.

Councillor P. Edgar - does work for NHS

79. MINUTES

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 28 November 2006 were subject the last paragraph of Minute No. 71(j) being amended to read:

"The majority of Members were happy that the review process and consultation process had been carried out effectively and took the view that the proposals were the best possible option."

confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

80. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATION

(a) Healthcare Commission

The Chairman reported that a meeting with the Healthcare Commission and Lord Sandy Bruce Lockhart had been scheduled to take place on 20 February 2007.

(b) South Central Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees

The Chairman reported that South Central Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be meeting with the Strategic Health Authority on 19 February 2007 anticipated that this would provide further information about the review of community hospitals that was being planned.

(c) Centre for Public Scrutiny

The Chairman reported that the Centre for Public Scrutiny had published a review of health scrutiny in action and that Hampshire, together with seven other local authorities across England, had been cited as an example of good practice.

(d) Director of Public Health

The Chairman reported that Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Primary Care Trust had jointly appointed Jean Bradlow as Director of Public Health.

81. INQUIRIES RECEIVED AND ACTION TAKEN

The Chief Executive presented a report on enquiries received, the

source of each enquiry and the action taken (Item 4 in the Minute Book). The enquiries related to:-

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust - `Fit for the Future'

Partnership Working with the Healthcare Commission

The Future of Community Hospitals

Micheldever Branch Surgery - Closure

South Central Ambulance Service - Implementing Call Connect

Representatives from Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust attended the meeting and gave a presentation on the three year plan to deliver sustainable local services to the people of Mid and West Hampshire. They outlined their strengths and weaknesses, what they had achieved and their key challenges. They also outlined proposals for the modernising of maternity services which included proposals for the introduction of a midwife led unit at Winchester and new ways of working at Andover.

Richard Samuel outlined the progress that was being made with the provision of new services at both Milford on Sea War Memorial Hospital and Fenwick Hospital. It was agreed that, in order to meet the deadlines for putting a business case for the development of Fenwick Hospital to the Department of Health, a

foreshortened consultation on a proposal would be acceptable, subject to the confirmation of Section 11 engagement as the proposal is taken forward.

On the proposed closure of Micheldever Branch surgery it was agreed that moving services a short distance would not normally constitute a substantial change in service provision unless Section 11 had not taken place or major access issues were identified. All proposals for local service moves would be referred to the relevant Hampshire Action Team.

RESOLVED:

That:

(i) the report be received and the actions outlined in it be endorsed.

(ii) the proposals contained in the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust's `Fit for the Future' programme be considered not substantial and the Trust be requested to make a further presentation to the Committee on progress with the programme at a future date.

82. PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP OR VARY NHS SERVICES

The Chief Executive presented a report on proposals to develop or vary

health services in the area of the Committee (Item 5 in the Minute Book). He presented the report in two parts which comprised of items for information which alerted the Committee to forthcoming proposals from the NHS to vary or change services and items for action required by the Committee to respond to proposals from the NHS to substantially change or vary NHS services.

Under items for information he gave details on:-

(a) Southeast Primary Care Trust Cluster : Maternity Services in Southeast Hampshire

The Chief Executive reported that the Portsmouth Patient and Public Involvement Forum had been advised of proposals regarding the stand alone birthing centre at St. Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, they had considered that Section 11 involvement had not taken place and had objected to the proposals. Richard Samuel reported that plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Southeast Hampshire were progressing and that he would be writing the Joint Committee on Maternity Services to explain this. It was hoped that the Joint Committee would meet again in March 2007 to consider proposals.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee be kept up to date on the progress of the Joint Committee on Maternity Services.

(b) Southwest PCT Alliance/Southampton University Hospital Trust: Closure of Maternity Services in Southwest Hampshire

The response to the issues raised by the Committee was shown as

Appendix 1 to the Chief Executive's report . Councillor Adrian Evans had been invited to sit on the steering group that would oversee the opening of the new facility at Ashurst.

RESOLVED:

The Committee be appraised of any change to the anticipated opening date of the new Birthing Centre at Ashurst.

(c) Southeast England Strategic Health Authority: Acute Service Reconfiguration

Further to correspondence from the South England Strategic Health

Authority West Sussex Primary Care Trust had written to the Committee indicating that proposals for were being developed. No detailed information had been included and specific information had been requested with regard to the services that were currently being used by Hampshire residents and Section 11 engagement with local people and key stakeholders as well as any discussions that had taken place with Adult Services. Hampshire Primary Care Trust and South Central Ambulance NHS Trust had not been approached about the proposals. The Chairman had written to the West Sussex Primary Care Trust setting out the expectations of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the officers, in conjunction with the Chairman, be authorised to establish a working group of Members to consider any proposals to vary services that would have an impact on Hampshire residents.

(d) Department of Health - Development of Local Involvement Networks (LINks)

A briefing paper on the anticipated role of LINks and the evidence sent

to the Health Select Committee to inform its review of patient and public

involvement in the NHS were shown as Appendices 3 and 4 to the Chief

Executive's report.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee:

(i) Continues to work with lead officers and Members to inform the establishment of LINks within the County Council.

(ii) Notes the evidence provided to the Health Select Committee.

Under items requiring action he gave details on:-

(e) Department of Health - Consultation on Non-Emergency Transport

A draft response to the Department of Health's consultation document had been prepared and was shown as Appendix 5 to the Chief Executive's report. Members of the Environment and Transport Policy Review Committee had also been requested to share their views on the proposals and these had been incorporated into the draft response.

RESOLVED:

That the draft response to the Department of Health's consultation on Non-Emergency Transport be approved.

83. CARE AT THE END OF LIFE REVIEW

The Chief Executive presented a report setting out the findings and recommendations of the Care at the End of Life Review Panel (Item 6 in the Minute Book). The review had taken approximately five months of intense research and evidence gathering activities, including select committee style and visits to stakeholder locations. The Chairman thanked the Members of the Panel and officers for all of the hard work that had been put in in compiling the report.

RESOLVED:

That:

(a) The Report and recommendations included within it be endorsed.

(b) The Report be sent to the Secretary of State for Health with the request that appropriate action be taken on the recommendations contained therein.

(c) The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Safe and Healthy People Policy Review Committee monitor progress made against the recommendations in the Report

84. FORWARD PLAN

The Chief Executive presented the Committee's Forward Plan (Item 7

in the Minute Book).

RESOLVED

That the Forward Plan be approved.

_____________________________

Chairman.

11 April 2007