Issue - meetings

This report outlines the proposals within the White Paper “Liberating the NHS”, in particular, those that have most impact for the Local Authority, and seeks approval for a proposed response to consultation on the White Paper and for the development of a Transitional Health and Wellbeing Board to oversee and support the local changes that the White Paper potentially heralds.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the responses in Annex 1 to the report be approved and that further reports be provided on the detailed implications and opportunities as they become known.

REASON:      To ensure that York’s views are made known, and to enable the authority to review the implications of major change in more detail.

                        (ii)        That approval be given to set up a Transition Board in York, under the direction of the Chief Executive, building on the work of the Healthy City Board, with terms of reference to be developed by Officers and brought back to the Executive for approval.

REASON:      To enable the thinking and planning to be undertaken locally, in line with the general advice from the Chief Executive of the NHS.

Members considered a report which outlined the proposals contained in the government White Paper Liberating the NHS and sought approval for a suggested response to consultation and for the development of a Transitional Health and Wellbeing Board to oversee and support the local changes potentially heralded by the White Paper.

Briefly, the proposals involved offering more choice and control to patients on the provision of treatment, making local authorities responsible for improving population health outcomes, the establishment of Health and Well-Being Boards to carry out the current statutory functions of Health Overview and Scrutiny committees, and the transfer to local consortia of GPs of commissioning currently undertaken by Primary Care Trusts.  Four consultations had been launched; on the outcomes framework, the commissioning arrangements, local democratic legitimacy in health and provider regulation.  Responses were required by 11 October 2010.

The proposals had been considered by both the Healthy City Board and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, whose views were summarised in paragraphs 7 and 8 of the report.  A draft response to the consultation on behalf of the Council was attached at Annex 1, and Members were invited to approve or amend this response and to agree the establishment of a Transition Board in York, under the direction of the Chief Executive.

Having noted the comments of the Labour Group Spokespersons on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the responses in Annex 1 to the report be approved and that further reports be provided on the detailed implications and opportunities as they become known. ¹

REASON:      To ensure that York’s views are made known, and to enable the authority to review the implications of major change in more detail.

                        (ii)        That approval be given to set up a Transition Board in York, under the direction of the Chief Executive, building on the work of the Healthy City Board, with terms of reference to be developed by Officers and brought back to the Executive for approval. ²

REASON:      To enable the thinking and planning to be undertaken locally, in line with the general advice from the Chief Executive of the NHS.