Agenda and minutes

Councillor John Robinson (Durham County Council) was appointed as Chair of the Better Health Programme Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Ray Martin-Wells (Hartlepool Borough Council) was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Committee.

Apologies for absence were received from the following:-

Councillor Walker – Middlesbrough Council

Councillor Stelling – Durham County Council

Councillor Scott – Darlington Borough Council (Cllr Tostevin as substitute)

Councillor Akers-Belcher – Hartlepool Borough Council (Cllr Belcher as substitute)

No Declarations of Interest were received.

Report of the Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer, Durham County Council

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer presented a report setting out the proposed Protocol, Terms of Reference and Project Plan for the establishment of a Joint Health Scrutiny Committee under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Board and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013. The Committee had been established to examine the Better Health Programme (BHP) and any associated service review proposals.

The membership of the Committee reflects the footprint for the Better Health Programme (BHP) and has been extended to include North Yorkshire County Council in view of the patient follows form North Yorkshire into the Better Health Programme area. 

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer highlighted to Members that the Committee was the formal statutory body to comment on the proposals but the Committee will not have the power to refer any decision to the Secretary of State, this power being retained by each individual Local Authority. 

Future meeting dates have been set but if additional meetings are required, this would be an option.

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer notified Members that representatives of the Better Health programme were in attendance at the meeting to outline the background to the BHP and the pre-engagement activity undertaken and the outcomes.

The Chair confirmed that the Local Authorities adjacent to the Better Health programme area had been informed of the meeting and received copies of the agenda papers to keep them informed.

(a)        Presentation – Representatives of the Better Health Programme will give a presentation to the Joint Committee setting out the background to the Better Health Programme

(b)        Report of the Better Health Programme Project Executive

A representative from the BHP thanked the Committee for the opportunity to attend the meeting and for the establishment of the Joint Committee. Members were given an outline of what was going to be covered at the meeting, which included the background to the programme, how it had developed overtime, how feedback had helped shape the programme. Members were informed that formal consultation would take place in the Autumn 2016.

The Committee was informed that the BHP had developed over time and now incorporated out of hospital care and was looking at improving standards both in and out of hospital. A BHP representative welcomed early dialogue with the Committee and feedback from the Committee.

The Committee requested details of the specialist services that are being examined as part of the Better Health Programme and also how these services are currently provided at each of the BHP Acute hospital sites i.e. Hours of operation and how staffing levels are arranged and monitored to deliver the services.

The importance of statistical evidence was highlighted by the Committee and specific information was requested in respect of current performance at acute hospital sites regarding:-

·  Current performance in respect of average waiting times in A&E.

·  Current performance regarding handover times from NEAS and Yorkshire Ambulance service to Acute Hospital staff.

·  Current performance in respect of Elective surgery across the BHP sites including the numbers of elective surgery cancellations and the reasons for these cancellations.

·  NEAS Response times across the BHP area.

·  Mortality levels across the BHP footprint and beyond.

·  What benchmarking statistics are available?

The Chair was also aware that the potential Phase 4 long list of options had been shared at a stakeholder event and requested that this be shared with the Committee along with the key principles to be used during the options appraisal process to ascertain short list options.

The BHP representative confirmed that this information would be available for the next meeting on 21 July 2016.  

A member questioned how this ties in with North Yorkshire CCG and it was confirmed that the BHP team were working closely with North Yorkshire CCG. The Committee identified that public engagement needed to take place in the North Yorkshire area.

A presentation was delivered to the Committee by representatives from the BHP, covering the following key points:-

·  The BHP programme had evolved from the Acute Services Legacy Project and Securing Quality in Hospital Services (SEQHIS).

·  The vision for the BHP is “meeting patient needs now and future proofing for the coming generation with consistently better health and social care delivered in the best place and within available resources.

·  Both the Acute Legacy Project and the SEQHIS project looked at best practice and as a result 700 clinical standards were developed and it is now a commissioner led process working closely with partners.

·  The project has transformed to include out of hospital care, as the vast majority of contacts people have are with GPs and community health services.

·  Some of the reasons why the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.