Agenda and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda. A list of general personal interests previously declared are attached.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda. The following amendments and additions to the standing list were requested:

Councillor Fraser – No longer a member of the York Healthy City Board

Councillor Holvey – Partner was a student nurse at the University of York and a professional member of the NHS.

Councillor Kirk – Governor of York Hospitals Foundation Trust

Councillor Simpson-Laing – Member of York Healthy City Board

Councillor Wiseman – Public Member of York Hospitals Foundation Trust

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 29 March 2010.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 29 March 2010 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Tuesday 6 July 2010.

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

John Yates, spoke on behalf of the Older People’s Assembly. He stated that further to ongoing requests for better dialogue and improved public and patients information from health providers he questioned if local MP’s received minutes of the Council. He referred to MP Julian Sturdy’s recent comments in the House on the issue of spinal injections for back pain.

Officers confirmed that local Members of Parliament did not receive copies of the authorities minutes as a matter of course.

The Chair confirmed that she would personally email the local MP’s to inform them of the Health Scrutiny Committee’s work and the presence of the Committee’s reports and minutes on the Council’s website. 

This report presents the Committee’s work plan for the forthcoming year for consideration. It asks Members to consider any additions and/or amendments they may wish to make to it.

The Committee considered a report, which presented the Committee’s work plan for the forthcoming year. The report asked Members to consider any additions and/or amendments they wished to make to it.

The Scrutiny Officer confirmed that the Childhood Obesity Task Group were to meet shortly to draft recommendations for the final report. It was noted that receipt of this final report would require addition to the work plan.

The Chair referred to the Joint Vision for Older People’s Health and Social Care in York report to be considered at a Decision Session on 27 July. She asked if it would be possible to consider this at the Committee’s meeting on 20 July to allow any comments to be reported to the Decision Session.

The Chair also referred to a possible review topic in relation to carers, how they were supported by integrated services. The examination of support offered to carers would also include young carers. Members indicated that it might be useful to highlight any gaps in provision prior to examination.

Discussion was also undertaken on the frequency of updates from NHS North Yorkshire & York, The Hospitals Foundation Trust and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. It was suggested that these could take place on a quarterly basis with the Ambulance Trust in September, Hospitals Trust in December and the PCT in March, subject to availability.

Members suggested that the Quality Accounts comments could be undertaken in regular updates and contact with the Trusts’ rather than completed on a one off basis.

RESOLVED:             That the draft work plan be approved subject to the additions/amendments detailed above. ^1.         

REASON:                  To update the Committee on their work plan for the forthcoming year.

The purpose of this report is to provide Members with an update on the provision of dental services in York.

Consideration was given to a report, which provided Members with an update on the provision of dental services in York.

Members were reminded that at their last meeting further information had been requested on comparative data and overall trend information in relation to the provision of dental services.

The Assistant Director – Primary Care was in attendance at the meeting and she went through the City of York Dentist Waiting List data for May 2010, attached at Annexes A and B of the report, showing those patients added, those assigned a dentist and those currently on the waiting list. As dental procurement and evaluation was ongoing she stated that it may be useful if a representative of the Committee acted as a ‘lay person’ on the Evaluation Committee.

In relation to the commissioning of new dentists she explained the methods by which areas were targeted for dental provision and pointed out that York and Selby were still priority areas.

Members stated that it may be more useful if the Committee’s input related to the specification for dental provision to ensure that it reflected the city’s needs.

RESOLVED:           i) That updates on dental provision continue to be received on a six monthly basis with the next update scheduled on the work plan for March 2011, this to also include previous years figures for comparison. ^1.

ii)That no member nomination be made on the NHS North Yorkshire and York Evaluation Committee.

REASON:                              In order to carry out their duty to promote the health needs of the people they represent.

This report asks Members to receive a presentation updating them on the ‘Universal Services Review’ being undertaken by NHS North Yorkshire and York. It also asks them to make a decision on whether to undertake a review on a proposed scrutiny topic regarding post-maternity services.

Members received a presentation from the Head of Joint Commissioning and Partnerships, NHS North Yorkshire and York on the ‘Universal Services Review’ that they were undertaking.

It was explained that this was a long term joint strategy to improve health outcomes for all children and young people it set out how Local Authorities and the PCT could work together across children’s services to build the quality of support for families at key stages in their children’s lives.

The following were the main points raised in the presentation:

Drivers for the review

• National Child Health Strategy
• Healthy Child Programmes

How it would work in North Yorkshire and York

• Development of a countrywide service specification for 0-19 universal services based around the Healthy Child Programmes.
• Local flexibility to enable providers to agree on the model of delivery;

What it was hoped the review would do

• Identify gaps in current commissioned services and help shape future services;
• Focus on professional roles of health care professionals;
• Help identify expected outcomes and benefits

Present position

• Initiative within the 5 year strategic plan and key priority in the 2010/11 operational plan;
• Project plan developed;
• Engagement plans – Phase 1 April/May (clinical) and Phase 2 May/June/July (Wider stakeholders);
• Aim to have approach and service specification clearly outlined by end of October 2010.

Engagement Includes

• Clinicians
• Children’s Trust Unit
• Children Centre Management and Health Groups
• Integrated Youth Support Leads
• Healthy Schools Groups
• Teenage pregnancy groups
• CANDI
• York Youth Council

Next Steps

• Consolidate information
• Over the summer develop draft service specification
• Discuss developments with current providers and stakeholders
• Produce a final version for October 2010.

Officers confirmed that Councillor Wiseman had registered this scrutiny topic in October 2009 and Members were asked to make a decision on whether to undertake a review on a proposed scrutiny topic on post maternity services.

Members questioned a number of points including:

• What services were at present in place for mothers and babies and details of any future proposals
• Health Visitor input
• Facilities already offered and take up
• Comparisons with other PCT’s of services offered.

Members thanked the Head of Joint Commissioning for her presentation.

Following further discussion it was

RESOLVED:      i) That the presentation and update on the Universal Services Review be received and noted;

ii)      That the Scrutiny Officer prepare a list of questions in relation to Members discussions on the maternity review topic to forward to Jo Harding, General Manager – Children and Specialist Services North Yorkshire and York with an invitation for her to attend the Committees’ September meeting to report back.  ^1.

REASON:                              To address the concerns raised within the topic registration form.

This report provides the 2009/10 outturn position for both finance and performance in Adult Social Services, the main area covered by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

The Committee considered the 2009/10 outturn position for both finance and performance in Adult Social Services, the main area covered by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Officers reported that the outturn position for Adult Social Services was an overspend of £1.7m on a total net budget of £45m. It was confirmed that the demand for adult social care across the city was still the main reason for the overspend together with an increasing number of assessments.

In answer to Members questions Officers confirmed that there had been nothing to suggest that there would be any reductions in referrals in the near future.

Members made a number of comments in relation to the report including:

·        That it would be helpful to receive a briefing on the various adult social care indicators;

·        The Finance and Performance update in September 2010 would provide a better comparison and show if there were continuing trends;

·        Would current investment and the More for York efficiency programme assist with current issues;

·        A more inclusive reablement approach was required.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted.

REASON:                  To update the Committee in relation to the outturn position for finance and performance

This report asks Member to note the contents of the draft terms of reference for the newly established York LINk Statutory Stakeholder Group. It also asks Members to nominate two representatives to the group.

Consideration was given to a report which asked Members to note the contents of the draft terms of reference for the newly established York LINk Statutory Stakeholder Group, a copy of which was attached at Annex A to the report.

Members also considered an invitation to nominate two representatives to the Statutory Stakeholder Group. It had been suggested that for continuity one of these representatives should be the Scrutiny Officer and that the Vice Chair had expressed interest in being the other nominee.

RESOLVED:            i) That the Committee note the contents of the draft terms of reference for the Statutory Stakeholder Group;

ii)That the  Scrutiny Officer and Councillor Wiseman, as current Vice-Chair of the Committee, be appointed to the Statutory Stakeholder Group.

REASON:                  To give the Committee a voice on the group and to promote partnership working.