Committee details

This protocol provides a framework under the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Public Health) Regulations 2013 for considering and providing a formal consultation response in relation to proposals affecting the population covered by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, in particular:

(a)     The proposed review of Stroke Rehabilitation Services in County Durham and Darlington.

(b)     The future of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services across County Durham and Darlington (Ward 6 Bishop Auckland Hospital).

A Health Joint Scrutiny Committee (“the Joint Committee”) comprising

Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council (“the

constituent authorities”) has been established in accordance with the

Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Public

Health) Regulations 2013 for the purposes of formal consultation by the

relevant NHS Bodies in relation to the matters referred to at paragraphs

1(a) of this protocol, and in particular in order to be able to:-

(a)     make comments on the proposals consulted on, to the relevant NHS Bodies under the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Public Health) Regulations 2013;

(b)     require the relevant NHS Bodies to provide information about the proposals under the Regulations; or

(c)     require an officer of the relevant NHS Bodies to attend before it under the Regulations to answer such questions as appear to it to be necessary for the discharge of its functions in connection with the consultation;

(d)     make recommendations to the relevant NHS Bodies and expect a response within 28 days. 

The Joint Committee is independent of its constituent councils,

executives and political groups and this independence should not be

compromised by any member, officer or relevant NHS bodies.  The Joint

Committee will send copies of its final report and formal consultation

response to the relevant NHS Bodies and the constituent authorities.

The primary objectives of the Joint Committee will be to reach consensus,

but where there are any aspects of the consultation as regards which

there is no consensus, the Joint Committee’s final report and formal

consultation response will include, in full, the views of all of the constituent

authorities, with the specific reasons for those views, regarding those

areas where there is no consensus, as well as the constituent authorities’

views in relation to those matters where there is a consensus.