Agenda item

The Chair will lead a discussion to formulate and prioritise the future work programme of the Commission.  The discussion will include the following topics and documents:-

a)    The Chair and Vice Chair to provide feedback from two open sessions held on 4 and 5 June with representatives of voluntary and community sector groups.  A draft copy of the summary of the feedback from the two sessions is attached for information at Appendix B (Page 7).

b)    Work Programme – a draft programme is attached at Appendix C (Page 11).

c)    Corporate Plan of Key Decisions – attached at Appendix D (Page 15).

d)    Implementation Plan for the ‘Fit for Purpose Review’. Attached at Appendix E (Page 21).

The Chair led a discussion to formulate and prioritise the future work programme of the Commission.  The discussion included the following topics and documents:-

a)    The Chair and Vice Chair provided feedback from two open sessions held on 4 and 5 June with representatives of voluntary and community sector groups.  A draft copy of the summary of the feedback from the two sessions was previously circulated with the agenda.

b)    Draft Work Programme

c)    Corporate Plan of Key Decisions

d)    Implementation Plan for the ‘Fit for Purpose Review’.

The Chair commented that the two open sessions held with representatives of voluntary and community sector groups had resulted in different outcomes.  One had focused on specific issues and concerns that attendees had in relation to health and the other had focused more on procedures and commissioning processes.

Members’ considered the topics/issues raised in the feedback summary from the two open sessions and made the following comments:-

·         Lack of Support for Carers – It was more appropriate for Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission to lead on this and Health and Wellbeing members invited to take part.

·         Homelessness and Health – add to the work programme.

·         Social Model of Communities and Health – Impact of Increasing Austerity on Health and Communities - the Social Care Act and Changes in Earning and Benefits.  All four topics raised general issues which should be borne in mind when dealing with specific issues.  Councillor Chaplin (Chair of Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission) stated that the Commission would be receiving a briefing on the Social Care Act in August and would extend an invitation for Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Commission members to attend.

·         Food Banks and Health – Add to work programme and the Commission receive a presentation on what they were and how they operated.  It was noted that whilst the Neighbourhood Services Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission and the Assistant City Mayor for Neighbourhoods had already undertaken some work in this area, they were equally relevant to the Commission in terms of their impact upon health and the changing nature of the food being provided and the public health implications for the training needed by volunteers for food handling, preparation and storage.  The recent report considered by the Commission on the oral health of Leicester had also identified the need to include toothbrushes and toothpaste in the food bank parcels.

·         Closure of Residential and Day Care Services – Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission had already looked at the issue and would be revisiting the issue again later in the year.

·         Communities of Interest – LGBT and Pagan and MSK Pain – The Chair had offered to visit the organisations involved and these were being organised.  The Vice Chair was invited to attend a meeting with LGBT together with members of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission’s Working Party on LGBT.

·         Access Talking Therapies – Add to work programme as reserve item.

·         Befriending Service – add to work programme.  This would also be considered by the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission in relation to the Winter Care Plan.

The Chair and Vice Chair had offered to visit the Boards of all Voluntary and Community Sector organisations that had attended the open sessions to establish a mutual understanding of each other’s work.

The Chair also commented that he felt that the Commission should also add the following to the work programme:-

·         The Impact of Air Quality on Health as recent research had identified that 250-300 premature deaths were attributed to vehicle emissions.

·         Capital Programme.

·         Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Review.

·         Better Care Together – the Chair was currently in discussions with the Deputy City Mayor on how the Commission could support the Health and Wellbeing Board in monitoring this programme.  The Chair felt it was disappointing that there was no mention of the Review of Congenital Heart Services in the programme.  The Deputy City Mayor stated that he would raise this issue at the meeting of the Board later that week.

·         Congenital Heart Services Review – to look at Stage 2 of the review process.

·         Mental Health Charter/Challenge – to review the progress with the implementation of the Charter which the Council signed in January 2013.

·         Complaints Procedures of the Council and NHS Trusts - a small group would look at the process of what aspects of this data driven process the Commission should consider in future.

·         Director of Public Health’s Annual Report.

·         Reports which the HealthWatch representative felt should be considered by the Commission.

·         Implementation Plan arising from the Fit for Purpose Review.

The Commission also discussed the current initiative for a growing number of CCGs applying to be considered in the co-commissioning of GP services.  The Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group stated that the CCG could provide a report focussing on the current direction of primary care and how improvements could be achieved.  Members commented that primary care services were provided by a number of health professionals other than GPs.  The Deputy City Mayor commented that he had reservations that co-commissioning was not the best way forward.

RESOLVED:

That the issues identified above be incorporated into the Commission’s work programme and the comments made by members above be taken into account during the consideration of items by the Commission.