Minutes for Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Health and Social Care) meeting, Dec 15 2009, 6.30PM official page

The Chair referred to Councillor McGinnity’s absence from the meeting, due to him having an operation.

RESOLVED:

That best wishes be accorded to Councillor McGinnity.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fenton, D. Hardy, Howe, C. Mainey (Substitute Member for Councillor Howe), McGinnity and Platt; and Ann Bisbrowne-Lee, Sefton LINk.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of interest were received:-

Member

Minute No.

Reason

Action

Councillor Larkin

No. 69 - Mersey Care N.H.S. Trust Update

Personal – By virtue of him being a carer for his mother

Took part in the consideration of the item and voted thereon;

Councillor Hill

No. 70 – NHS Sefton - Update

Personal – his wife is employed by Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust

Took part in consideration of the item and voted thereon.

Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2009.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Further to Minute No. 58 (6) of 17 November 2009, information relating to the end of the drop-in service for blood tests provided at the Litherland Town Hall facility had been circulated to Members of the Committee.

Further to minute No. 61 (2) of 17 November 2009, the Chair indicated that any Members were welcome to submit their interest with regard to the position of Councillor Fuel Poverty Champion for Sefton.

Presentation to be given by Kim Crowe, Executive Director of Service Delivery & Development, Mersey Care NHS and Karen Lawrenson, CBU Leader, Positive Care Partnerships.

Further to Minute no. 57 (3) of 17 November 2009, the Committee received a presentation by Kim Crowe, Executive Director of Service Development and Delivery, Mersey Care NHS and Karen Lawrenson, Clinical Business Unit Director, Positive Care Partnerships, updating on the temporary reconfiguration of services for older people.

The temporary closures and long-term service requirements were explained, which would affect Boothroyd Ward, Southport Infirmary and Ash and Elm Wards at Aintree Hospital. Ultimately there would be two Wards at Aintree Hospital, providing care for both functional and organic dementia sufferers. The Southport facility would provide six beds for organic care.

The changes were being undertaken due to the Trust’s commitment to meet gender specific requirements in older people’s services and work on the buildings concerned was due to finish by mid March 2010.

Members raised concerns regarding the distance involved for relatives travelling from the north of the Borough, visiting patients at Aintree Hospital. The Trust representatives considered that the changes would offer greater choice and emphasised the need to try to keep service users at home and catch symptoms early. They anticipated that many of the current difficulties would be addressed by the successful delivery of the TIME project.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the Mersey Care NHS representatives be thanked for their useful and informative presentation;

(2)            Mersey Care be invited to report any further developments affecting Boothroyd Ward, Southport Infirmary, or the TIME project back to this Committee.

Report of the Chief Executive, NHS Sefton.

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive, NHS Sefton, on current issues impacting on healthcare provision within Sefton.

Mr. Leigh Griffin Chief Executive of NHS Sefton, presented the report, provided information on the following and answered questions thereon:-

A.            ‘Looking Local’ in Sefton

NHS Sefton was the first primary care trust in the country to sign up to a scheme which would give Sefton residents access to health information and services ‘from the comfort of their own living rooms’. ‘Looking Local’ was free to everyone who had interactive digital TV, namely, cable, satellite and some ‘digi’ boxes. The ‘teletext’-type interactive service would put people in touch with NHS Sefton’s services and provide a range of health information. Eventually, people would be able to book their GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions via their remote control. Sefton NHS was also keen to reach groups that did not have Internet access, as some of the more deprived wards in the Borough had as few as 50% of households with access to the Internet. “Looking Local” would help to bridge the gap by providing health related information and access to services. The TV service was expected to be live by the end of December 2009.

B.            Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards

NHS Sefton and Sefton Equalities Partnership had been praised at a prestigious national awards ceremony for an innovative scheme that was tackling discrimination, whilst improving access to health services. The Transgender Volunteer Programme had won second place in the reducing health inequalities category of the HSJ Awards, held in London at the end of November 2009. It was thought to be the first of its kind in the country in that it supported Sefton’s transgender (trans) residents to gain workplace experience within the local health service whilst, at the same time, improving their physical and mental health and well-being. Research indicated transgender people often experienced harassment from fellow employees, customers or clients in the form of verbal abuse and physical violence as well as discrimination in recruitment, promotion and remuneration at work. The report set out detailed information on the scheme.

C.        World Class Commissioning

Futher to Minute No 47 D. of 13 October 2009, a number of local experts, partners and opinion formers were currently being invited to take part in a survey to advise NHS Sefton on how well they thought the organisation was performing. Their views would form part of NHS Sefton’s next World Class Commissioning assessment. The national programme would deliver a more strategic and long-term approach to commissioning services. Within Sefton, it was helping to make significant improvements to health services and the health of local people, whilst reducing the inequalities that existed in health in different parts of the Borough. All primary care trusts were working towards this vision of World Class Commissioning which was based on best practice from around the world. Regular monitoring of every PCT’s progress was carried out by an external panel of experts and the results used to help them develop further. This assessment would take place in April 2010.  A new section on the PCT’s website www.sefton.nhs.uk had been designed to update people about the programme.

D.            Priority Sefton Residents Invited for Swine Flu Vaccinations

The swine flu vaccination programme was underway and priority Sefton residents were being invited for their immunisation by their GP practice. The vaccine was being offered firstto people in Sefton who were most likely to get seriously ill if they caught swine flu. Children and adults with serious health conditions, such as chronic lung or heart disease, were to be targeted for vaccination, as well as pregnant women or those living with someone who had a weakened immune system.  These groups of people were particularly vulnerable to serious complications such as pneumonia. Children aged six months to five years were to be the next priority group to receive the swine flu vaccination. Frontline clinical staff were also being offered the vaccination to help protect their patients as well as themselves, their colleagues and their families and friends. Further information could be accessed on www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu or the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513.

E.            Choose Well

“Choose well” leaflets and posters were being distributed across Sefton, guiding people to the most appropriate treatment and service when they were unwell. Information would be available at libraries, GP practices, pharmacies and a range of other community venues. The information campaign informed people about the range of services available, provided advice to help them to “stay well’ over the winter period and reinforced the message that 999 and A&E services were for those people who were seriously ill or for emergencies. A Merseyside-wide bus, press and radio advertising campaign for “Choose well” would begin in December 2009.

F.            Tackling Inequalities

A Sefton-wide strategy to tackle health inequalities was being developed as a result of the recommendations in the annual report of NHS Sefton and Sefton Council’s joint Director of Public Health, Dr Janet Atherton. Whilst there had been a number of successes in reducing inequalities, particularly around reducing heart disease, persistent health inequalities still existed in some of the least affluent communities. The strategy was being developed by the Healthier Communities and Older Peoples (HC&OP) Thematic Partnership which was part of the Sefton Borough Partnership. It would involve closer joint working between all the agencies represented on the SBP to tackle the wider causes of poor health, such as housing and education. All of Sefton’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be invited to get involved in this work and the HC&OP Partnership would be in contact in the near future to discuss this further. The strategy was expected to be completed by April 2010.

The Chair advised the Committee that the Overview & Scrutiny Management Board had established a cross-cutting Working Group to scrutinise health inequalities within the Borough, the membership being comprised of the four Overview & Scrutiny Chairs. In addition, the Centre for Public Scrutiny had recently invited local authorities to bid to become a Scrutiny Development Area, as a tool to assist councils and their partners in addressing health inequalities within their local communities. A formal bid had been submitted by Sefton Council and the outcome was awaited.

G.            Hospice Care

The Chief Executive of NHS Sefton reported that it was the intention to report back to the Committee on the above in due course.

H.            Children’s Minor Injuries Unit, Southport

Councillor McGuire sought assurances that funding for the above facility would be honoured.

The Chief Executive, NHS Sefton, confirmed that commitments previously given regarding the above facility would be honoured.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       NHS Sefton be thanked for the report;

(2)       the report be noted; and

(3)               NHS Sefton’s actions against recommendations and proposals contained in the report, and reported verbally at the meeting, be monitored as appropriate.

Presentation to be made by Sefton NHS.

RESOLVED:

That this item be deferred for consideration at a future meeting.

Report of the Legal Director.

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director attaching the latest Key Decision Forward Plan that contained all the Key Decisions that the Executive was anticipated to take during the above period. The Committee was advised of its right to pre-scrutinise any Key Decision which fell under its remit.

Councillor Webster reported on progress in relation to the Dementia Working Group.

A site visit to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital was scheduled for 15 January 2010.

The Chair provided a verbal report on his visit to inspect the construction work at Aintree Hospital on 30 November 2009, indicating that dramatic progress had taken place. Committee members would be invited to attend to view the building once the work was finished.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the Key Decision Forward Plan be noted;

(2)               the progress and actions of the Dementia Working Group to date be supported;

(3)               the intention for a site visit to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital on 15 January 2010 be supported; and

(4)            progress of the construction work at undertaken at Aintree Hospital be noted.