Agenda item

The Committee received a report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships that considered 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 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and North Durham Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and any associated service review proposals (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer informed the Committee that following the well-established joint scrutiny for the Southern STP, the former Chairman of this Committee wrote to the Northern STP local authorities with a proposal to establish a joint body.  Each local authority had reported this to their own committees to endorse the implementation.  He added that any referral to the Secretary of State would remain with each local authority.  Membership of the body would be 2 labour and 1 liberal democrat member from this committee.

Mrs Hassoon asked if co-opted members would be represented.  The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that this option had not been taken up however he informed the Committee that all meetings were open to the public.

Councillor Bell asked for an update on the STPs and was advised that the Southern STP was still in its draft stage with a statutory consultation yet to commence.  The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that a number of requirements had been placed upon the STPs from NHS England whereby they had to set out associated funding requirements prior to any consultation plans being finalised.  With regards to the Northern STP a number of pre-existing plans were in place and engagement activities had taken place in January and February 2017.  He hoped that the first meeting of the Northern STP joint scrutiny Committee would be arranged before the end of October.