Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out under Note 6.

The Democratic Services Officer drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillor Simon Allen (Cabinet Member for Wellbeing) had sent his apology to the Panel.

Members who have an interest to declare are asked to:

  a)  State the Item Number in which they have the interest

  b)  The nature of the interest

  c)  Whether the interest is personal, or personal and prejudicial

Any Member who is unsure about the above should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer prior to the meeting in order to expedite matters at the meeting itself. 

There were none.

There was none.

At the time of publication no notifications had been received.

There were none.

The Panel will have an opportunity to ask questions to the Cabinet Member and to receive an update on any current issues.

The Chair informed the meeting that Jane Shayler (Programme Director for Non-Acute Health, Social Care and Housing) would introduce the update (attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes) in the absence of Councillor Simon Allen.

Following the update from Jane Shayler the Panel asked the following questions and made the following points:

The Panel asked what steps had been taken so Bath and North East Somerset residents are looked up properly in care centres following the investigation from BBC Panorama into abuse of vulnerable adults.

Jane Shayler informed the Panel that the Council undertakes regular contract review visits to all residential, nursing and home care providers plus some other short notice visits if particular concerns have been raised.  All review visits are announced.  Those inspection visits do not simply involve meeting with the registered manager and going through paper files, they also involve, walking through the facility and talking to service users, carers and staff.  A simple checklist approach is not sufficient.  The Council also regularly meets with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) (at least on 6 monthly basis).  Also, locally we have established a Care Home Task Force comprised of GPs, consultants, nurses, social workers and other practitioners who have regular contact with residential and nursing care homes and are likely to pick up early signs of a drop in standards and/or of safety concerns.  The Care Home Task Force also includes commissioning and contracting staff who gather “intelligence” about care homes coming from the Care Home Task Force and other sources liaise with CQC and ensure appropriate action is taken. 

In response to a question about unannounced inspections, Jane Shayler informed the Panel that whilst commissioning and contracting staff do not make unannounced visits, they do work closely with CQC who can and do make unannounced visits to residential and nursing homes as well as other care services that are regulated by CQC..

The Panel asked whether the Care Home Task Force was not the part of their Member induction.  Jane Shayler confirmed it is not although the relevant Cabinet Member was aware of its existence.  The Panel asked that, in the light of the recent events in Bristol, the existence of the Care Home Task Force should be widely known.  Jane Shayler confirmed that efforts would be made to raise awareness of the Care Home Task Force as well as the other ways in which anyone, including Elected Members, with any concerns about the safety and/or quality of care, could raise those concerns.

The Panel debated the Domiciliary Care Strategic Partnership issues with Jane Shayler and RESOLVED that a detailed report, or briefing update, on this subject should be presented to the Panel at the next meeting on the 7^th October.

The Chairman thanked Jane Shayler who presented the update on behalf of the Cabinet Member.

The Panel will receive an update from the NHS on current issues.

The Chairman invited Jeff James (Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire NHS Chief Executive) to give an update to the Panel (attached as Appendix 2 to these minutes).

The Panel asked the following questions and made the following points:

The Panel asked about the minimum waiting times for hospital admissions in Bath and North East Somerset.

Jeff James replied that the Corporation and Competition Panel are overseeing the contracts awarded to providers.  The Panel published national and local report/s in terms of what the expectations from providers are nationally and locally.  The PCT, as a commissioner, would always encourage competition between providers and one of the issues that would be looked at is minimum waiting time/s for hospital admissions.  Jeff James also explained that the minimum waiting time should also reduce the number of people needing the service.  The PCT would spend next few weeks in understanding on what the implications from the national and local reports are.

The Chairman thanked Jeff James for the update.

The Panel RESOLVED to have further and detailed update on minimum waiting time for hospital admissions.

The Panel are asked to consider an update from the BANES Local Involvement Network.

The Chairman invited Diana Hall-Hall and Mike Vousden to take the Panel through the update.

Some Members of the Panel expressed their concern related to the Out of Hours Access to GP Services in the report and encouraged the Local Involvement Network to continue to monitor this issue.

The Chairman thanked Diana Hall-Hall and Mike Vousden for their update.

Recent developments in policy, first described within Equity and Excellence Liberating the NHS, have outlined a new duty on local authorities to ensure the provision of Healthwatch. Healthwatch is a development in public involvement and will be a new body that replaces the existing Local Involvement Networks. It is expected that the Health and Social Care Bill currently progressing through parliament will confirm the regulations for Healthwatch. In Bath and North East Somerset activity has been taking place throughout May to July in preparation for the future commissioning of Healthwatch. Officers are working towards an implementation date of October 2012. This paper provides an update to overview and scrutiny members on work to date and the agreed principles upon which Healthwatch is now being progressed.

Panel Members are asked to comment on the information presented within the report, to note the key issues and to endorse the direction of travel indicated.

The Chairman invited Derek Thorne (NHS BANES Assistant Director for Communications and Corporate Affairs) to introduce the report.

The Panel asked the following questions and made the following points:

The Panel expressed their concerns that the shape of the HealthWatch Board would be set up and led by the provider and not having the public involved in the organisational set up.

Derek Thorne responded that there would have to be organisational entity as such and the Council would have to procure that entity. 

The Panel also expressed their concern that the Health Scrutiny role would be taken away from this Panel once the new board is in place.

Derek Thorne replied that the board would try to achieve more accessible consumer voice.

The Panel expressed their concern of having a HealthWatch board member as non-voting Wellbeing Panel Member.  Members of this Panel are the elected Members who represent their communities and there might be possible conflict of interest from the HealthWatch nominee.  The point was made that this issue would need further consideration before any final decision was made.

Derek Thorne said that the next step would be creation of specification for procurement process (expected for November/December 2011). 

It was RESOLVED that the Panel noted the report and that the comments/views made by the Panel be taken on board by relevant officer/s.  

Equity and Excellence Liberating the NHS setting out the governments intentions for the reform of the NHS was released by the Department of Health for consultation in July 2010.  A response to the consultation Liberating the NHS Legislative Framework and Next Steps was published in December 2010. The content of these papers has previously been reported to the overview and scrutiny panel. The Health and Social Care Bill that provides the underpinning legislation is progressing through its parliamentary process. Both reform papers and the bill itself received mixed response and public challenge. The Prime Minister called for a pause in the progression of the Health and Social care Bill and initiated a further period of reflection and consultation led by the NHS Future Forum review body. This review has now concluded and amendments have been made to the details previously reported.

This paper is being presented to ensure overview and scrutiny panel members are well informed on the progress of reform and the work underway to implement change in Bath and North East Somerset.

The Chairman invited Jeff James to introduce the report.

The Panel asked the following questions and made the following points:

The Panel asked about the latest on the GP led commissioning.

Jeff James responded that the GP led commissioning group for Bath and North East Somerset had been launched with the established leadership of 7 GPs.  The group had been working very closely with the NHS.  The NHS decided that the group could start operating on their own as from October-November next year.  Some of GPs had been actively involved in the Partnership Board for Health and Wellbeing work.

It was RESOLVED to note the report.

The purpose of the document is to report to the B&NES Health Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee on the outcome of the re-tender of the West of England Positron Emission Tomography / Computerised Tomography (PET/CT) contract (covering a test that is used as part of the diagnosis of rare cancers).  Specifically this briefing reports on the proposed model of care and service for PET/CT for the areas covered by NHS Bath and North East Somerset PCT, NHS Bristol, NHS North Somerset, NHS South Gloucestershire, NHS Wiltshire and NHS Swindon, the selection process and the outcome of that process.

The Chairman invited Anne Jarvis (Director South West Specialised Commissioning Group) to introduce the report.

The Panel asked the following questions and made the following points:

The Panel asked why Bristol City Council declared substantial variation on this matter.

Anne Jarvis responded that the main reason was about the travel.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson felt that the weightings outlined in the chart on paragraph 4.7 of the report (pg 36), where weighting of 60% was given to Affordability/Value for Money criteria and only 5% for Patient Engagement & Experience criteria, were not acceptable.  Therefore, with the reason that this change of services had been financially driven, Councillor Jackson moved a motion to declare substantial variation.  Councillor June Player seconded the motion.

Voting: 2 in favour and 8 against.  Motion failed.

Councillor Bryan Organ moved a motion to support the proposal to award the two year contract to Cobalt Healthcare.  Councillor Sharon Ball seconded the motion.

Voting: 8 in favour and 2 against.  Motion carried.

It was RESOLVED to:

• Note the rigour and outcome of the PET/CT re-tendering process;
• Note the improved quality of service, patient experience and value for money the new contract will deliver;
• Note the involvement of the public, patients and carers and the support of the patient and carer who were on the assessment panel;
• Support the proposal to award the two year contract to Cobalt Healthcare.

The Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) Joint Scrutiny Committee was established in 2008. Each of the participating local authorities are required to appoint three members to sit on the committee. In 2011 Councillor Tony Clarke was elected Chair of the GWAS Joint Scrutiny Committee and the Panel will hear a verbal update from Councillor Clarke on the outcomes of their meeting on the 10^th June 2011.

The Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny is asked to:

• Nominate and agree the 3 Members of the Panel on a politically proportionate basis (1:1:1) who will sit on the GWAS Joint Scrutiny Committee; and
• Note the verbal update from Councillor Clarke.

The Chairman invited Councillor Tony Clarke, who is recently appointed Chair of the Great Western Ambulance Services (GWAS) Joint Scrutiny Committee to address the Panel.

Councillor Clarke said that it is important for the Council to have 3 Members on the GWAS Joint Scrutiny Committee.  The GWAS significantly improved in the last few years but the recent poor rating from the audit commission would need to be looked at.  Although this is Joint Scrutiny Committee there is nothing stopping this Panel to scrutinise ambulance issues relevant to Bath and North East Somerset area.

It was RESOLVED to:

• Note the report; and
• Agree that Councillors A Clarke, E Jackson and S Ball be nominated to sit on the GWAS Joint Scrutiny Committee.

The report is presented to provide an update on the progress towards establishment of the Community Interest Company (CIC) for the provision of community health and social care services.

The Wellbeing PDS Panel is asked to:

• Note this update report; and
• Note the progress against the conditions set out by the Council and the NHS B&NES Board in approving the transfer of services to a social enterprise as set out in Appendix 1.

The Chairman invited Jane Shayler to introduce the report.  Jane Shayler informed the Panel that the 10 day period to challenge the intention to award the contract to the Bath and North East Somerset Community Health and Care Services Community Interest Company had expired without any challenge.

It was RESOLVED to note the update report.

This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel (Appendix 1) as well as information to help Panel members identify any additional items for the workplan (plus a suggestion form for workplan items). 

The Panel is required to set out its initial thoughts/plans for their future workload, in order to feed into cross-Panel discussions between Chairs and Vice-chairs - to ensure there is no duplication, and to share resources appropriately where required.

The Panel AGREED the future workplan with the following additions:

• Domiciliary Care Strategic Partnership update (for October 2011)
• Minimum waiting time for hospital admissions (date to be confirmed)
• ‘What is it like to be an older person in BANES – to look at the life overall rather than under the series of separate headings’ (date to be confirmed)
• Dementia care in BANES (date to be confirmed)
• Psychological therapy services for adults (including the provision of counselling services in BANES) (date to be confirmed)
• Ambulance Services update (to be confirmed)

The Panel also AGREED to have an away day and visit the Community Health and Social services provided by the Council. 

Jane Shayler said that she will be in touch with the Panel for the preferred date.  The Panel agreed to have a half an hour catch-up with Samantha Jones (Corporate Policy Manager for Equalities) on Corporate Equalities issues.