Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships that proposed the establishment of a Joint Health Scrutiny Committee under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 involving all local authorities affected by the Durham, Darlington and Teesside Hambleton Richmondshire and Whitby Sustainability and Transformation Plan and any associated service review proposals. The proposed Joint Committee would assume responsibility for those provisions and considerations previously undertaken by the “Better Health Programme Joint Health OSC” (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that it was proposed to extend the remit of the current Better Health Programme Joint Scrutiny Committee to consider the implications of the draft STP documents and any proposals as Better Health was only one element that affected the local authorities.  The proposal would be considered by each affected local authority and he assured members that the power to refer to the Secretary of State remain with each local authority and not the Joint Committee.

Councillor Bell referred to the Southern STP and the intention to consult in September and asked if there was anything that the Committee needed to be aware of in terms of a formal consultation.  The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer said that a Joint Committee meeting would be held on Monday 10 July 2017 and members were posing the same questions.  The feedback from the latest round of engagement activity of maternity, paediatricians and womens services would be discussed together with an evaluation of the criteria used as part of the options appraisal process.  The statutory consultation would be likely to commence in January 2018.

The Committee welcomed the proposals.

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer referred to a presentation given to the Committee in March 2017 about establishing joint scrutiny arrangements for North Durham.  The previous Chairman lobbied all affected local authorities to set up joint arrangements.  Due to the purdah periods it was intended to bring a report to a special meeting of the Committee in September with proposals to mirror those of the south of the county arrangements.  It would be proposed to appoint three members to sit on the newly formed committee.

He advised the Committee that papers for the Better Health programme Joint Scrutiny Committee were available for inspection on the County Councils website.

Resolved:

(i)            That the report be received;

(ii)          That the establishment of a Durham, Darlington and Teesside, Hambleton Richmondshire and Whitby Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee under the terms of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as set out in the report be agreed;

(iii)         That the proposed protocol, Terms of Reference and membership of the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee that will be set up to scrutinise the Durham, Darlington and Teesside, Hambleton Richmondshire and Whitby STP and associated consultation and engagement plans be agreed.