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 Wednesday, 11 April 2007.

PRESENT

Chairman:

p Councillor Dr. R.J. Ellis

Vice-Chairman:

a Councillor Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott

Councillors:

Co-opted Members:

Councillors:

p 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 at the invitation of the Chairman, F. Rust, Hampshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum, Mrs. M. Silk and N. Allsop, Portsmouth Patient and Public Involvement Forum and Richard Samuel, Hampshire Primary Care Trust.

Councillor Chapman presented his apologies because he was attending another County Council meeting.

85. 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. Wright - wife a General Practice Manager.

Councillor P. Edgar - does work for NHS

86. MINUTES

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 30 January 2007 were

confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

87. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATION

a. Healthcare Commission

The Chairman reported that the event with the Healthcare Commission on 1 March 2007 had been a great success and those who had attended had provided a valuable contribution to the debate. The work was now in the process of being written up to allow follow-up action to be taken.

b. District Councils

The Chairman reported that he had written to all District Councils inviting them to highlight any issues of concern for inclusion in next year's work programme.

c. National Regulator/Local Government Association

The Chairman reported that he had met with Anna Walker of the Healthcare Commission and Lord Sandy Bruce Lockhart to discuss how the National Regulator and Local Government Association could work better together.

d. Local Involvement Networks (LINks)

The Chairman reported that no information had yet been received as to how LINks would work. This was of concern for colleagues in Patient and Public Involvement Forums who were having to deal with the uncertainty.

e. Ambulance Service

The Chairman reported that the Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Healthy Scrutiny Joint Committee had met on 19 March and concern had been highlighted about the performance of the Ambulance Service across the County with the forthcoming changes in reporting calls. Regular updates on actions to address this had been requested.

f. Commissioning Framework for Health and Wellbeing

The Chairman reported that a national consultation document on the Commissioning Framework on Health and Wellbeing had been issued and that a joint response with Safe and Healthy People Policy Review Committee would be made. The consultation document was available on the web and Members were requested to let the Health Scrutiny Manager have any comments they wished to be included in the joint response as soon as possible.

88. 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:-

Partnership Working with the Healthcare Commission

The Future of Community Hospitals

Richard Samuel gave an update on the position with Community Hospitals:

· Lymington Hospital

The Primary Care Trust was still running Lymington Hospital pending the take over by commercial partners which was imminent.

· Fenwick Hospital, Lyndhurst

There had been a positive response to consultation and the business plan was now being refined and would be available in May 2007.

· Chase Hospital, Petersfield

Consultations had been taking place with local Councillors about Chase Hospital and opportunities were being investigated to expand services at the hospital.

Use of Haslar Hospital

Richard Samuel reported that although the Ministry of Defence had relinquished control of the hospital on 30 March 2007 there was still a military presence there as, in deed , there was at Portsmouth hospitals. At present some of the services provided at Gosport War Memorial Hospital had been decanted to Haslar Hospital whilst major refurbishment was taking place and opportunities were being investigated for the future use of Haslar Hospital.

Learning Disability Services in Southeast Hampshire

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust

Homefield House, Basingstoke

Briarwood Rehabilitation Unit, Cove

Members were concerned that that the Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust had not carried out consultation on the proposed changes as required by Section 7 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and requested a report on the views of service users about the change in provision, including the views of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for the September 2007 meeting of the Committee.

Stop Smoking Services

Members congratulated the Primary Care Trust on the work being carried out to assist people who wished to give up smoking.

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and the actions outlined in it be endorsed.

89. 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) Maternity Services in Southeast Hampshire

The Chief Executive reported that the Joint Committee on Maternity Services had met on 13 March 2007 and Portsmouth Hospitals (NHS) Trust and Hampshire Primary Care Trust had be requested to report firm proposals for Maternity Services in Southeast Hampshire to the Maternity Services Joint Committee on 6 June 2007.

RESOLVED:

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

(b) Maternity Services in Southwest Hampshire

Due to a delay in the rehabilitation services moving from the Ashurst site the opening of the new birthing centre would be delayed

RESOLVED:

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

(c) South Central Strategic Health Authority: Review of Community Hospitals

The South Central Strategic Health Authority had signalled that it would be reviewing Community Hospitals in its area during 2007/08 and wished to engage Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees in determining the criteria by which these facilities were evaluated. South Central Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee's would be meeting on 15 May 2007 to decide how they wished to take this work forward, this would be followed by a meeting with the Strategic Health Authority on 8 June 2007.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee be kept appraised of this work.

Under items requiring action he gave details on:-

(d) Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust: Mental Health Services for Older People in the Wider Southampton Area

The Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust had commenced consultation on

proposals to modernise mental health services for older people in the Southampton area, details of which were shown as Appendix 1 to the Chief Executive's report. Members agreed that there was a need for the document to be clear about the impact of the changes proposed on other service providers, including Adult Services. They gave consideration to specific points which included:

· The document not being clear about the changes being made and the reasoning behind these. It suggested that it was closing a ward at the Western Hospital, but in fact was setting out the case for moving Allington West Ward from Moorgreen to that facility. Section 4 highlighted that that the move of the ward could release land for sale.

· There did not appear to be any analysis of the need for the services affected given the aging population and the fact that there was a going proportion of our population that would be affected by dementia.

· There was no assessment of the impact that the move would have on access, particularly for people in the area of Eastleigh and Southern Parishes

RESOLVED:

That the Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust be advised of the specific

points considered by the Committee to the consultation on proposals to

modernise mental health services for older people in the Southampton area

and that the views of Adult Services, Eastleigh Borough Council and the Patient and Public Involvement Forum also be sought.

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

Liz Tatlow of West Sussex Primary Care Trust attended the meeting

and explained the draft proposals for the reconfiguration of acute services in West Sussex and the possible impact each of the proposals would have on Hampshire residents, she outlined the consultation on proposals that had taken place to date. Members agreed that there was potential for some of the options to have a substantial impact on Hampshire residents and Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham. They also requested more detailed information about the proposals

RESOLVED:

That:

i. The impact of the changes proposed by West Sussex Primary Care Trust had the potential to be significant for local Hampshire residents in accordance with Section 7 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and the Committee would wish to have an input to any Joint Committee established to consider the proposals.

ii. West Sussex Primary Care Trust, working with Hampshire Primary Care Trust, be required to provide comprehensive details on the proposals.

90. HEALTH REVIEW PROGRAMME: UPDATE ON CARE AT THE END

OF LIFE REVIEW

The Chief Executive presented a report giving an update on the Care at the End of Life Review including feedback from Adult Services, Hampshire Primary Care Trust and South Central Strategic Health Authority (Item 7 in the Minute Book). He circulated the Hampshire Primary Care Trust's Implementation Plan resulting from the recommendations made by the Care at the End of Life Panel which included action being or proposed to be taken and timescales for reporting back to the Committee.

The Chairman thanked the officers fro the work that they had put in on the review.

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and the Committee be continually updated on progress on the outcome of the Care at the End of Life Panel's recommendations.

91. HEALTH REVIEW PROGRAMME: UPDATE ON HEALTH AND

WELLBEING AND OUT OF HOURS REVIEWS

The Chief Executive presented a report giving an update on the Health

Health and Wellbeing and Out of Hours Services reviews Item 6 in the Minute Book)

RESOLVED:

That progress on the Health and Wellbeing and Out of Hours Services reviews be noted and the Committee receives regular updates

92. PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT JOINT

COMMITTEE ON MATERNITY SERVICES

The Chief Executive reported that there was a vacancy on the Portsmouth, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Joint Committee on Maternity Services.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor D. Wright be appointed to fill the vacancy on the Portsmouth, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Joint Committee on Maternity Services.

93. FORWARD PLAN

The Chief Executive presented the Committee's Forward Plan (Item 9

in the Minute Book).

RESOLVED

That the Forward Plan be approved subject to the inclusion of issues raised at

this meeting.